


Summer Lover

by pequinessa



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Summer Vibes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:13:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24928249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pequinessa/pseuds/pequinessa
Summary: “Is that him?”“Of course it’s him, he’s the only one towering above the rest of the people.”Taeyong elbowed him.“I’m not talking about Johnny, you idiot. I’m talking about the city boy.”Yuta snickered.“He has a name, you know.”
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Nakamoto Yuta, Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 36
Kudos: 222





	Summer Lover

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in like six days so im sorry if the plot isnt that great lmao this is just me missing summer and thirsting over jaehyun 
> 
> also, title from YMA & GAB's song ["Summer Lover"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6TXj9rguZ8) which i totally recommend you listen to because I listened to that mf on loop while writing this monster and the whole fic is HEAVILY inspired by it uwu so pls do check it out!
> 
> that's all, enjoy!

The sand was still warm under his feet, despite the sun having set some time ago. The largest star in their system had shone so brightly that day after all; the heat accumulated in the pavement was still hot and the light burning sensation on his skin, even after applying a whole bottle of sunscreen, was still sizzling. It embraced him like an old friend, a hug maybe a tad too warm, but one that Yuta welcomed anyways. He was no stranger to summer. If anything, they were good acquaintances.

Summer was permanently tattooed on Yuta’s golden skin, in the freckles that bloomed on his arms and back under the sunlight, in his hair, dried by the salt of the sea and the chlorine of the pools. It should’ve been drier, his friend always complained, since it wasn’t exactly that unhealthy. _Good hair genes_ he answered, a smile playing on his face, sprawled on Taeyong’s bed while the other was yet again applying some sort of moisturizing balm on his hair in the bathroom.

The buzz of the day was starting to die down a bit. The sun had gone and hid after all, taking away the promise of a nice and clear day, and the heat with it. Even though the holiday season was in full bloom now, the village didn’t actually take a break. The tourist season was just around the corner, and although not many people visited such a secluded place, the town’s people liked to be well-prepared.

“Johnny’s coming back tomorrow,” Taeyong mentioned, his skin warm where it was pressed against Yuta’s. No matter how suffocating the atmosphere was, Taeyong would never relent in his affections. Yuta had learned how to live with it; far and gone were those days in which he would recoil, disgusted by the sensation of someone else’s sweat permeating his skin. There was no fighting it, he had given up. Now, as strange as it seemed, the lack of Taeyong’s weight on him always left him feeling cold. Sometimes, Yuta could understand why Johnny felt the way he did.

“Excited?”

“He’s bringing that city boy he can’t stop talking about.”

Yuta smiled, eyes closed. Ah, there it was. He had been wondering how much it would take for Taeyong to break that happy and amicable facade he put on whenever their oldest friend rambled about his life in the city.

The duo were still on the beach, their swims trucks wet and their hair full of sand. They had put the umbrella away now that the sunrays didn’t threaten to burn them alive, their naked backs against the sand, their shoulders and part of their hips connected as they lay down.

The hues of intense orange and pink in the sky that the sun had left in its train might have been the prettiest paint Yuta had ever seen. The sound of the waves, an old but never tiring song that played in their ears, a lullaby they’ve been listening attentively since they were children. The sound carried Yuta’s most precious memories, a song that evoked tiny moments of happiness.

“Do you regret it?”

Taeyong didn’t answer right away, and perhaps that itself should have been enough of a response. Yet, Yuta knew him better than that. His friend was looking for the right words because that was how Taeyong was, no matter how silly the questions were that Yuta threw his way, he would always take his time to give him a proper answer.

“Sometimes,” he finally acknowledged. “But I think I would have regretted it more if I had gone to the city. I am happy where I am, working towards what I want.”

Yuta hummed, his tiny knot of uneasiness melting away upon Taeyong’s words. He always wondered if staying back with him had been a mistake for Taeyong. If maybe he would have been better off following Johnny.

“I wouldn’t have been able to leave you, either. You know that.”

“Johnny won’t be happy to hear that.”

“Johnny can suck my entire ass,” Taeyong huffed. It was without bite, Yuta noticed. He might have been mad but he cared. He cared a lot. About everything, and perhaps that was his biggest flaw. 

“You wished.”

He felt Taeyong’s teeth sinking into his shoulder and Yuta laughed, pushing the other away and finally opening his eyes.

It was easy, playing around like this. It was comfortable and it made Yuta forget that he couldn’t do anything for Taeyong, that he couldn’t empathize a hundred percent with him. He too, missed Johnny terribly. As a child, he loved to imagine that whatever happened in the future, it would always be the three of them. They would study together, would room together, would never miss any important event in each other’s life. Reality had other plans, Yuta learned. And as much as his heart ached to be with his friend, his lengths of yearning were matchless against Taeyong’s. 

Sometimes Yuta wondered how different everything would have been if it was him Taeyong had fallen in love with. Would they be happy? Would they be a good couple? He guessed they were too similar, too in-sync to properly work out. They might have been each other’s first kiss, might have made out a couple of times when they were teenagers, clueless and eager to be cool, but their hearts had never belonged to each other like that.

“You don’t have to worry,” Yuta said, after he came back to Taeyong’s side. “I’m pretty sure he missed you.”

“He missed you, too, you know. Stop acting like you’re not in this with us for life.”

“Are you still mad at him? It’s not like we stopped talking but there’s this...tightness there, every time we video call.”

“I don’t know.” Taeyong sighed. “I’m still a little angry, I think. But I know myself and I know I will forget about it when we see each other. I’ve missed him even if he makes me wanna rip my hair out sometimes.”

Yuta chucked lightly.

“I’m not mad but I think he isn’t really happy with me now. He loves me still I know, but. You know.”

Taeyong stroked Yuta’s hair lovingly.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Yuta said, closing his eyes. “We’ll figure it out when he comes I guess.”

“Yeah. That’s a problem for future Yuta and Taeyong. Current Taeyong and Yuta are just chilling.”

And only then did Yuta allow himself to fully relax, his arms easily sneaking around Taeyong’s torso. They remained like that, tangled and young and careless, under the rapidly approaching night. 

{-}

“Is that him?”

“Of course it’s him, he’s the only one towering above the rest of the people.”

Taeyong elbowed him.

“I’m not talking about Johnny, you idiot. I’m talking about the city boy.”

Yuta snickered.

“He has a name, you know.”

Taeyong didn’t reply, instead, his eyes focused on following the two freshly arrived men in the bus station.

Johnny looked a bit on the thinner side, Yuta noticed. It might have been the stress from the finals, he would know. The only reason he hadn’t lost more than one pound was because his younger sister had forcefully shoved down entire dishes down his throat while he was too busy having a mental breakdown.

He still looked like the Johnny he knew though, all tall and broad shoulders, light brown falling gracefully over his shades, friendly smile playing on his face. He hadn’t realised just how much he had missed his friend until he had seen him in the flesh again.

“Johnny, hey!” He raised his arm, waving excitedly. He could see the other turning his head around, likely looking for them. It wasn’t Johnny who spotted him, it was his city friend. 

Jaehyun.

He called Johnny’s attention and pointed towards where Yuta and Taeyong were waving their hands. The immediate smile that took over Johnny’s features had Yuta’s eyes burning. God, he had truly missed him. Yuta turned his head to look at Taeyong's reaction, a chuckle escaping his lips when he saw the other’s eyes were just as teary as his. Good. He didn’t want to be the only one Johnny would call a crybaby.

Yuta and Taeyong pushed past the people around them as gently as possible, their sprinting only accelerating when they were just metres away from his friend. They rammed into him, and still, it wasn’t enough to make Johnny stumble back. He had been preparing for it, his arms open to welcome them, now easily hugging their frames in a tight embrace.

“Easy,” he chuckled. Yet Yuta and Taeyong just hugged him tighter, their faces sinking into Johnny’s comfortable and familiar smell. It felt like home. 

“Miss me?” He teased them once they let go of each other. “Because sure I did.”

“Just a bit,” Yuta said, playing it cool, yet he was sure the excitement dripping from his voice betrayed him. It was okay, he had never had any problem showing how he felt. “Miss your help in our basketball matches more than anything.”

Johnny laughed and bumped his fist into his shoulder playfully.

“You little shit, it’s not my fault neither of you grew taller while I was away. By the way, guys, this is Jaehyun,” Johnny rapidly introduced his friend, who had been awkwardly standing by the side, holding his and Johnny’s suitcases. 

“Yeah, you’ve only mentioned him like a thousand times,” Taeyong huffed. Yuta bit his lips in order to refrain the bubble of laughter that threatened to spill over Johnny’s flabbergasted face. 

“S-sorry about that,” Johnny mumbled, a bit lost at Taeyong’s sudden reaction. Yuta elbowed his friend and smiled in what he hoped was a friendly way to the new boy standing a bit far from them.

“He’s joking, of course. We’re thrilled to have you here, Jaehyun. I’m Yuta and this is Taeyong. Thanks for taking care of our big boy here, he can be a handful.” Yuta winked, whispering out loud as if he was telling him a private joke to put at ease the poor boy who seemed more lost by the second. 

The other finally smiled, shoulders visibly relaxing.

Oh. 

Dimples.

“Nice to meet you. Johnny talks about you a lot, I was kinda nervous about meeting you two.” He scratched the back of his neck, the tip of his ears reddening.

Deep down, Yuta knew Taeyong was disappointed that Jaehyun seemed really kind and polite. After all, it was against his nature to be mean towards people who fell under those two categories specifically. A shame. Yuta had been looking forward to some snobby city boy just so he could see Taeyong beefing with him. Though of course, if it was Johnny’s friend, he should’ve known better than that.

Although he had truly meant his words to Jaehyun, he couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed at the fact that Johnny hadn’t returned alone. All of the plans Yuta and Taeyong had been sketching for when Johnny was back weren’t very useful any more. He was sure Johnny would want to show Jaehyun around, keep it mild and simple so the other wouldn’t freak out about the perhaps not so legal things the trio liked to do in their free time.

There weren’t three anymore, now they were four, three villagers and a city boy. Jaehyun’s arrival was a blatant signal that things were actually shifting between the three friends. They could no longer go back to their wild and teenage years, it wouldn’t be only the three of them forever. Yuta had made a silent vow when he was younger, his eyes taking in the way Taeyong and Johnny skirted around each other with their awkward crushes. If it was he who had to be the one that had to remain alone so nobody would meddle between the three of them, so be .

But Johnny, who already kind of had Taeyong, who didn’t have to give up on anything, had been the one to silently break that chain of privacy that had been progressively getting thinner through the years.

Yuta didn’t like to dwell on that too much, didn’t want to come across as jealous and selfish. Didn’t want Johnny to think Taeyong and he were stuck in the past, were stuck in that little village of theirs and couldn’t move forward. Couldn’t progress like Johnny had. 

In Taeyong and Yuta’s defense, they had always been the shy ones in the group, their timidity overshadowed by Johnny’s more than loud extroverted self. They had always relied on their older friend in terms of social interactions, and had left all the hard work to him.

And when he had gone away, leaving them behind, it had been hard. Of course they had other friends, but none of them were like Johnny, none of them truly got them. None of them shielded them like they needed. Perhaps it had been Taeyong and Yuta’s fault, after all, they had been the ones to put such a heavy burden on Johnny’s shoulders. It was obvious he was going to make friends, he was friendly and polite and cool and all the good adjectives you wanted in a person, he had them. 

He knew this whole happy vibe and teary-eyed welcome wouldn’t last much longer. Yuta was just happy to see his friend back, and seeing him laugh so much made Yuta believe the other had momentarily forgotten about the passive-aggressive showdown that had been going on between him and Taeyong throughout the year. Yuta had gotten involved somewhere in the middle, of course. Not because he had wanted to but it had seemed unavoidable when Taeyong decided to stay with Yuta. It was obvious Yuta was going to become part of such a fight against his will.

And then there was the Jaehyun factor, akin to charcoal ready to be set on fire by Taeyong’s hands. The poor boy. He was sure the new guy had just come under the promise of a fun summer spent alongside the coast, meeting new people and relaxing under the sun.

Ah, it seemed summer was going to be quite interesting that year.

{-}

“I don’t think Jaehyun likes me,” Yuta muttered, eyes trained on the volleyball match Johnny was having with Jaehyun and some other friends. He was sitting under the sun umbrella with Taeyong. The two had passed on the match, preferring to enjoy the heat under the protection of the shadow.

“I don’t think he likes me, either.” Taeyong brought his knees to his chest and hugged his legs. He put his head on top of his knees and went back to staring at the match currently developing a couple of metres away from them. “Perhaps he thinks we are too common, you know how those city boys are. Did you see his phone?”

Yuta nodded, the image of a brand new cellphone he didn’t even know was out ingrained in his brain. Taeyong and Yuta had shared a look, silently communicating their surprise. They didn’t want to appear lame to Johnny’s new friend by getting excited about something that was perhaps regular for the other.

“It was huge. And thin,” Taeyong continued. “I was a bit mean to him at the beginning so I guess he would be cautious around me but I don’t understand why he wouldn’t like you. You were really nice to him.”

Yuta didn’t get it either. He had tried his best to make the other feel welcome amidst Taeyong and Johnny’s silent cold war. Unfortunately, it didn’t appear he had been successful in his little task. He knew he had acted under the intention of pity, trying to make the newly arrived as welcomed as possible. Now, though, seeing as the other barely spoke to them, barely tried to actively interact with them, Yuta was rapidly changing his mind.

The first days Jaehyun had been really cool around them, very much like Johnny. It was just a little awkward, if anything. Which had been expected; city people and village people could possibly fit a whole galaxy in between the gap that stood before them. Even if many of them liked to claim they weren’t that different, it was obvious when it came down to pulling the punches, such statements were unsustainable.

"Perhaps he thinks we aren’t really good for Johnny. Maybe he finds us too clingy. I don’t know, Johnny’s started acting weird again.”

Taeyong sighed.

“Wanna go get some ice cream? I think I have some change somewhere in my bag.”

Yuta nodded, immediately standing up and giving Taeyong his bag. The promise of a cold, sweet treat under the sweltering sun was too good to pass up. 

“Yeah, let’s go.”

“Don’t you think it’s strange?” Taeyong asked during their way to the small convenience store by the beach.

“What?”

“Johnny’s behaviour. It’s like he was so excited to see us at first that he forgot that he was a bit upset with us. And now it’s like he remembered but he still wants to hang out with us. Like hot and cold.”

Yuta hummed, agreeing with Taeyong.

“And like, Jaehyun’s there. Like, he asks to meet up but when it’s the four of us Johnny just sticks to him and it’s not like he’s downright ignoring us but it feels that way. Gosh, I can’t stand this stupid impasse. Johnny’s so fucking dumb I just want to go back to how things were before.”

“Why don’t you try talking to him?”

“It’s a matter of pride, Yuta. I was the one who tried to talk to him last time, I was not above begging, and it was embarrassing. It’s his turn, now.”

“You know he won’t yield.”

“Fuck him, then.”

Yuta sighed. His friends were impossible and all he wanted was to have a great time just like before. Yet now everything was a bit messy. He never imagined they would come to a point in which their problem was communication, not when they had never had trouble with something like that. Honesty was their number one policy but now it seemed pettiness was way too strong.

Jaehyun coming into the picture kind of only served to further annoy Taeyong, which resulted in the other always whining at Yuta. He was also some sort of shield under which Johnny could take cover whenever things got too heavy or dense. Yuta couldn’t tell if Jaehyun coming to the village was a blessing or a curse.

All he knew is that he needed to do something about the whole Taeyong-Johnny situation because like hell he would spend his entire summer feeling like shit around his friends.

{-}

“I know you purposely asked Taeyong to show Jaehyun around,” Johnny finally broke under the awkward silence that had set.

 _About time,_ Yuta thought while taking in the ebb and flow of the waves from their place sitting on the bench. It wasn’t just _any_ bench, it was _the_ bench. It was Johnny, Taeyong and Yuta’s bench. An old, decaying thing with too many splinters that had once forced the boys to bring in some sandpaper and give it a nice sanding so they could sit without worrying about tiny wooden thorns biting into their flesh. And just like any other thing in the village, it was soaked in Yuta’s memories. The first time they tried weed, the first time Taeyong and Yuta kissed, the first time Taeyong cried on Yuta’s shoulder when he realised he liked Johnny, the moment when Johnny told them he would attend a different college.

“I figure you hadn’t found the time to pull me aside and ask me what you’ve been dying to ask me since you arrived. I’m now giving you a chance.”

Yuta wasn’t looking at his friend, his eyes still mesmerized by the scene that permanently lived behind his eyelids. He might have witnessed the waves growing and retreating a thousand times and he would still willingly choose to watch it a thousand and one times. He wanted to give Johnny some privacy as well. The other had never liked the way Yuta’s big eyes seemed to peer into his soul.

When the other said nothing, Yuta sighed. 

“Nothing happened between Taeyong and me,” he chose to say instead of further instigating his friend. “You know I would never do that to you. You know I don’t feel like that about him.”

“But does he feel that way about you? You know I-”

“Johnny,” Yuta interrupted him. “You’ve become a lot dumber. Perhaps the polluted air of the city has fucked up with your brain or something. You, of all people, should know it’s not like that.”

“He chose you.”

Ah. He knew the whole ordeal was related to that. He wasn’t Taeyong, and thus, he couldn’t exactly tell what was going through Taeyong’s head when he ultimately decided to stay in the village instead of going with Johnny to the city.

Yuta and Johnny had fought about it, Johnny had begged Yuta to go with him to the city. He had only begged Yuta because he had been sure Taeyong would follow suit. He couldn’t really blame him; he had thought so, too. When Taeyong had announced he would stay, Yuta was just as shocked. The idea of being the only one staying behind was already there, he had cried about it in the secrecy of his room and moved on. He would not beg, he didn’t want to keep his friends where they didn’t want to be. 

“He didn’t choose me,” Yuta finally replied. “Johnny, I love you but you’ve always viewed Taeyong under a light that doesn’t really sit well with me. He is his own person, he’s more than capable of making choices for himself based on what he wants. He might be incredibly altruistic and have a knack for putting others before him but he’s not stupid. I know you love that about him but you have to stop thinking Taeyong only chooses based on others’ opinions. He’s no longer that teenager that always went with whatever you and I wanted. He’s grown and he really wants you to see that, too.”

“I’ve always envied you, you know.”

Yuta knew.

“You seemed to get Taeyong in a way nobody else did. You two were so in-sync I was sometimes afraid to step between you two. It’s stupid, I mean, I was really stupid back then. perhaps I still am,” he chuckled humorlessly. “You’ve always been my best friend, too, Yuta. You were, still are, like a brother to me. Yet everything felt like a competition to me, I aspired to have the level of intimacy you and Taeyong shared. I was really mad Taeyong didn’t come with me to the city. God I acted like such a prick back then. I thought he had finally chosen you. And I felt betrayed and hurt.”

“Because he kissed you days before he told you he would stay back.”

Johnny nodded.

“At that moment I thought, ‘this is it.’ He’s coming with me, he chose me. And then...he said he would stay here with you. I was confused.”

“That was your mistake, Johnny. Taeyong didn’t finally choose you. I was never an option in the first place, you were always the only one for him.”

Neither said a thing after that. Yuta didn’t have much else to say, after all. He felt relieved, finally letting it all out. That was a conversation that was long overdue, the two knew it. Perhaps things would have turned differently had Yuta and Johnny sat down to have a proper conversation before. Yuta was afraid, too. He didn’t want to widen the gap that had seemed to settle between Johnny and him any more by discussing something like that. He always felt mad with Johnny, always felt like the other should have more faith in Yuta, but Yuta now saw that he had also been acting the same way. He hadn’t had enough faith in his best friend to go over the Taeyong topic without fearing things would result in an argument.

They were talking now, at least. Better late than never, Yuta thought. Being mature and acting his age was painful most of the time. Especially when the teenager in Yuta still sobbed at night for things he hadn’t been able to say in the past.

“I’m sorry.”

Yuta didn’t say anything yet, aware that there was a lot more Johnny wanted to convey.

“Perhaps if we had talked before...perhaps if I hadn’t been so stubborn I wouldn’t have put this distance between us. Yuta, I love you. You’re my brother, I’m sorry something so silly drove us apart. I know you, and I know this must have kept you awake more nights than what I’m comfortable recognizing.”

Ah, why did Yuta feel like crying all of a sudden? He really was a crybaby.

“Stop with ifs, Johnny. We are sorting things out now, at least. I should have approached you before, I should have said something before you left, too.”

“You’re not gonna cry, right?” Johnny teased him good-naturedly.

Yuta groaned, pressing the ball of his palms to his eyes.

“Shut up, stupid. You said you love me, you know I’m weak when you’re so blatant about how you can’t live without me.”

“Ahhh, you’re not gonna say it back?”

“I l-love you, too. You, big monster.”

“Ah, you stuttered,” Johnny laughed, cooing at him. He tried pinching Yuta’s cheeks but the other rapidly batted his hand away. “You’re so cute, no wonder Jaehyun said-” he suddenly stopped. He cleared his throat. “I mean, I’m glad we settled all of this. I was tired of tiptoeing around you.”

“Wait,” Yuta said, not taking the bait. “Jaehyun said what?”

“He said you, uhm...” Johnny mumbled. “You look cool. Yeah.”

“Did he? I think he doesn’t like me at all, to be honest. Taeyong and I. We actually believe he’s not our biggest fan.”

Johnny frowned.

“Why would you think that? That’s not true, trust me.”

“I don’t know, he doesn’t really look me in the eyes or speak to me. Like, he almost never addresses me. He also glares at Taeyong! I caught him glaring at me, too! Johnny, I know he’s your friend but to be honest he’s been a bit rude to us. Of course you didn’t notice, since you were too busy trying to hang out with us and ignore us at the same time.”

His friend flushed.

“Yuta, you got it all wrong. I mean, the Jaehyun part. He’s just. A bit shy. I guess he sensed things weren’t exactly smooth between us and didn’t really know how to act. He stuck with me because, I guess, he saw you two already had each other. Perhaps his stare might be a bit...intimidating but I promise he’s all good.”

“If you say so,” Yuta said, tentatively. It was whatever, he was just glad things with Johnny weren’t awkward anymore. “Anyways, one down, Johnny boy. You still have one more to go.”

“Ugh.” Johnny groaned, body melting into the bench. “Don’t remind me. I’m hella scared to be honest. I think living like a coward is the better choice at this point. No offense but this conversation left me emotionally drained and I’m not sure I wanna repeat that.”

“Aw, come on. You don’t mean that. I’ll put a good word in for you, okay?”

“Shut up.”

After that, the couple of friends just stayed silent, their breathings even and light now that the suffocating tension between them had died down. It felt just like the old times, the two chilling, silently enjoying each other’s company. Even if Johnny claimed Taeyong and Yuta were the better pair, Johnny had always been Yuta’s go-to buddy whenever things got out of hand, or whenever he wanted things to get out of hand. He just went with whatever stupid idea he had, never actually judging him. If anything, he always knew how to turn it up a notch. Johnny was the first one he went to whenever he fucked up. He knew Taeyong would help him no matter what, but not without a pep talk and a proper scolding before, and more times than not, young Yuta could really do without one. 

“Be honest with me, though.” Johnny suddenly spoke, breaking the spell.

Yuta hummed in lieu of a verbal answer. His head had found solace in Johnny’s shoulder and he was too comfortable to even nod.

“Did you two ever kiss? Not like I mind, now. But you know. I’ve always wondered.”

He couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips.

“A thing that kept you awake at night?”

“You could say so.”

“Yeah, we did.”

Yuta bit back a smile, already anticipating the next question.

“More than once?”

“If you wanna get good at it you need to practice.”

Johnny groaned.

“Fuck. That's hot.”

Yuta laughed this time around, loud and unabashedly, his whole body shaking with the force of it. That had definitely been an unexpected answer.

“We were young and awkward-looking, I don’t know how you find that hot.”

Johnny chuckled too, a deep sound that resonated in his chest. A genuine laugh, Yuta noted, not like those he had been giving before. The acid that had been bubbling in Yuta’s stomach suddenly disappeared, his chest and heart a hundred times lighter. There it was, the Johnny he knew.

“By the way, what do you think of Jaehyun? I mean, now I know you didn’t have the best first impression. But like. Looks wise.”

Yuta sat down properly so he could look at Johnny, who was already looking back at him. His eyes wide and honest.

“What’s with the sudden question?”

His friend just shrugged.

“I don’t know, just curious I think. He looks like the type you liked when you were younger.”

Ah, he was right. Jaehyun was drop-dead gorgeous and Yuta had always been weak for pretty boys taller than himself. It was almost painful to look at the city boy. He was too attractive, with a soft and deep voice that made Yuta’s bones melt into his body.

“You’re getting red,” Johnny said, grinning.

“You already know your friend is handsome, why are you asking me? That city boy attracts a lot of attention around here with his good looks.”

“Jealous?”

“Nah, not really. I was just stating a fact.”

“You know...if you wanted to try something with him. I wouldn’t mind. And I think you have a good chance, too.”

Yuta groaned, feeling somehow embarrassed. He didn’t know why, but he could feel his cheeks heating up. God, he absolutely hated Johnny sometimes. Had Yuta thought about grabbing Jaehyun by the hand and then kissing him with the sun setting as a background? Yeah, he had. Because even if he was sure Jaehyun didn’t like him much, Yuta didn’t know how to make his weak heart shut the hell up. His mind kept conjuring different scenes with the city boy and him as a protagonist. There was no harm in daydreaming about being the object of affection of such an attractive person. Sue him. He seemed genuinely nice, too. Was Yuta offended that Jaehyun had managed to charm the rest of his friends but he hadn’t even tried to speak with Yuta? Of course. It bruised his ego.

And that was why he knew that what Johnny was suggesting was kind of pointless. God, he would never embarrass himself like that. Going after the one person that had ignored Yuta’s existence? No, thank you. Jaehyun could be the best looking person Yuta had ever seen but he knew when he was not wanted. 

“Don’t be silly, you and I know Taeyong is the best looking thing around here. And also, as I said before, I don’t think he likes me much.”

“Perhaps you’d like to reconsider that. Trust me.”

“Whatever, it’s not like he’s shown any interest in me so stop shoving it into my face, okay? How about you grow a pair and settle things with Taeyong for good, huh?”

“Alright, alright. I’ll promise I’ll talk to him soon.”

“Good. You don’t want to spend your summer sitting on this bitchass bench with me when you could be shoving your tongue down Taeyong’s throat.”

“Ugh, do you have to word it like that?”

Yuta suddenly stood up and lightly kicked Johnny’s shin, prompting him to stand up as well.

“Of course I have to, you coward. Come on, let’s go rescue Taeyong from Jaehyun. He really must love me if he willingly went away with the city boy. As you might imagine, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about how all of our conversations on Skype with you drifted towards him. Also, you kinda stuck to him since you got here so yeah. Not the wisest choice. If I were you, I would talk with Taeyong as soon as possible. He isn’t very happy right now.”

A groan.

“I know, I know. I’m a better person now.”

“Thanks to me.”

“Yeah, thanks to you. Oh, great Nakamoto Yuta.”

“That’s what I thought. Good boy.

{-} 

Yuta really couldn’t stand it anymore. Johnny had promised he would speak to Taeyong sooner rather than later, yet he had done nothing to change the situation. It was even more awkward than before because now Yuta was also comfortable and relaxed around Johnny.

Taeyong had actually been rather happy when Yuta recounted everything that had happened. Somehow, Yuta believed Taeyong blamed himself for how their relationship with Johnny had deteriorated. No matter what Yuta said, he knew Taeyong wouldn’t really change his mind. He had been suffering for Yuta and for himself, so Yuta was glad that at least now that everything was okay again between him and Johnny, Taeyong could breathe a little more easily. 

The thing was, Taeyong was quick to relent and apologize when he thought he had done something wrong, but he could be the most stubborn person when he knew he had done nothing wrong. Yuta silently agreed, he too believed it should be Johnny the one to give the first step in this case. 

“Jaehyun,” he suddenly called the other, who was too busy staring at his cards. He looked up from his hand, blinking confusedly. He couldn’t blame him, Yuta had never addressed him like that before. “I’m too thirsty, let’s go buy something to drink.” 

Taeyong’s arm immediately shot towards his knee, his bony fingers squeezing Yuta’s flesh warningly. 

“Uhm,” the city boy said, looking back and forth from Johnny and Taeyong who were now glaring at Yuta. “S-sure.”

Yuta smiled, satisfied Jaehyun wasn’t a dense brick. 

“Cool,” he answered, standing up from his seat in Johnny’s backyard. “Let’s go, then.”

“I have fresh lemonade and coke in the fridge, Yuta. There’s no need to buy more drinks,” Johnny suddenly said, a nervous glint appearing in his eyes. 

“Yeah, I bought a couple of monster cans as well,” Taeyong butted in. 

“That’s good but I want iced coffee. You too, Jaehyun? Right?”

“Right,” Jaehyun said smoothly, also getting up from his seat. Good. He was a quick learner. “I’m trying to drink less gas lately. Iced coffee sounds perfect.”

Oh, he was _so_ handsome when he was smiling at Yuta like that 

“Alright, let’s all go then,” Taeyong tried, getting up from his seat. Yuta pushed him down again. 

“We don’t need four people to buy some drinks. I know your orders by heart so just wait here.”

“But maybe this time around-”Johnny started.

“Johnny, I’m trying to get some alone time with Jaehyun here, how about you read the atmosphere, uh?” He ultimately said, sighing tiredly.

Johnny seemed thrown off. Good.

“R-right. Okay. Uhm. We’ll wait here.”

“Great,” Yuta said, smiling. “Let’s go, Jaehyun.”

And just like that, the two left Johnny’s house.

The first minutes of the walk were a bit awkward. Yuta and Jaehyun remained silent, swiftly moving through the deserted streets, sun high above and the temperature rising by the minute. It was really hot and for a moment Yuta regretted not having gone to the beach with Doyoung and Jungwoo. He had earlier decided that, given the newly-found peace with Johnny, he would spend a bit more of time with him and his city friend. A game of bullshit and some cold drinks in Johnny’s tree-littered garden had seemed a great idea. Now, with sweat rolling down his neck he could see he had been wrong.

“Don’t worry about what I said before, Jaehyun. It’s not true, you know they would have never dropped it unless I said something like that.” Yuta decided to break the silence, not being able to deal with the awkward atmosphere any longer.

Jaehyun smiled.

“It’s fine, I figured as much.”

Yuta smiled back. Well, perhaps Jaehyun wasn’t that bad. 

“I’m sorry, by the way.”

Yuta looked back for a second to take in Jaehyun’s sheepish demeanour. The boy wasn’t even sweating. Go figure.

“For what?” 

“Johnny told me that perhaps I haven’t given the best first impression. And you really were nice to me, so yeah. Sorry about that, I don’t hate you or anything of the sort. Johnny seemed really heartbroken about you and Taeyong and, since I didn’t know the full story, I figured I should stick to him, you know. He’s my only friend here after all and he did bring me to his town and let me crash for free at his house. 

Yuta didn’t reply right away, pondering Jaehyun’s words. It seemed the city boy wasn’t as obtuse as he had feared. He was a good friend. Yuta was glad Johnny had found someone like Jaehyun to have his back in the city, it had been one of Taeyong and his worries. They knew Johnny wouldn’t have a single problem finding friends yet they wanted him to find someone who could be with him through thick and thin, not only to have a good time with. They wanted someone like Jaehyun who, despite his unawareness regarding the whole situation, had decided to side with Johnny.

“You know, Jaehyun? You’re actually rather cool. Apology accepted. I’m glad Johnny has you to watch his ass.”

Jaehyun laughed, carefree and young, with his head thrown back and the smooth line of his neck on display. Ah. Such a sight to see.

“I’m glad we could sort this out. I thought you were really cool at first so it was kind of a pity that I didn’t get to know you better before.”

_Thump._

“Yeah, I’m pretty darn cool. Just wait, city boy. I’ll show you exactly why we think all city boys are fucking lame.”

“Can’t wait,” Jaehyun replied, a smile never leaving his face. “Johnny told me all kinds of things about you and Taeyong, I was kinda nervous. I didn’t want you to find me boring or something like that. Though I guess it’s a bit late for that?”

“Bad things only, I hope.” Jaehyun laughed again and Yuta knew he was a funny guy but he wasn’t sure if such a statement warranted such a reaction. “It’s okay, you still have some time to prove yourself.”

“I’ll do my best, then.”

Yuta nodded, already liking the determined glint in Jaehyun’s eyes. 

Not much later, they reached Yuta’s favourite coffee parlour. It wasn’t as empty as he had hoped, which he should have considered based on the weather. The marvelous A/C and the promise of some sweet, cold coffee perhaps looked a lot more tempting than melting under the sun in another part of the town. Smart people.

“We’re gonna order take-away?” Jaehyun asked while inspecting the limited choices on the board behind the counter.

“Nope,” Yuta answered, waiting for Jaehyun. He knew the menu by heart and he had kind of been ordering the same thing for a while now so he didn’t really need to ponder the options. Maybe he was a bit too predictable but there was nothing wrong with knowing what he liked. 

“No?” Jaehyun averted his eyes from the menu to look at Yuta, eyebrow raised. “We’re gonna order in?”

“If you want? I mean, those two will take their sweet time talking things out and I really don’t want to walk in on them either having a heated argument or making out. So. Your choice really.”

Jaehyun winced.

“Is it really that bad?”

“Taeyong generally isn’t stubborn but when it comes to Johnny...that’s a different story. Johnny might also come across as very emotionally intelligent, which he is. But he is also a mess with his own feelings. A match made in heaven, really.”

The other just hummed, going back to reading the menu.

“Just order the regular iced coffee, dude. It’s the best thing they have, trust me. You can also go for the peach smoothie if you like sweeter things.”

“Well, I do like sweet things,” Jaehyun said, glancing at Yuta briefly, who just raised an eyebrow at him. Jaehyun beamed. “I’ll trust your word. Also, think you can show me around? Johnny showed me some places but he would rather be with you, even if the atmosphere wasn’t the best, so I didn’t get to see much.”

Yuta moved towards the cash register so he could order, Jaehyun following suit. After he was done ordering he moved to the waiting counter.

“The weather isn’t exactly good if you wanna walk around, it’s peak time also,” he finally answered, thrumming his fingers on the counter. “Even in the shade it’s rather hot.”

“Then should we wait for the sun to go down? We can stay here and chat and then you can show me around.”

“You really wanna hang out with me, huh?” Yuta teased, teeth coming into display. Jaehyun smiled gently at him.

“I was really happy when you said you wanted some alone time with me, not gonna lie. Even if I knew it wasn’t true.”

Well, weren’t city boys terribly honest? Yuta wasn’t sure what kind of reaction Jaehyun was expecting from him, wasn’t sure why he had decided to say something like that so nonchalantly. Was he joking with him? The other looked very at ease yet there was no trace of ill-intended will in his eyes. 

He studied Jaehyun’s face carefully, elbow propped on the counter and chin on his palm.

“You’re one lucky guy then, Jaehyun. I will offer my more than amazing tour guide skills just for today. With a discount, even! Special offer for Johnny’s friend.”

“What’s your price, then?” Jaehyun asked, mirroring Yuta’s position. 

“You’re cheeky,” Yuta recognized, laughing softly. “I’ll hold you to a favour, good enough?”

“Ah, that’s too broad. What kind of favour?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t make you do anything too extreme or anything that puts your health at risk. Fair enough?”

“Being at the mercy of a wild village boy? I’m in.”

Yuta laughed again, harder this time. Well, it seemed Jaehyun did have some wits in him. Not many could keep up with Yuta’s humour, perhaps too weird or plain inappropriate. Taeyong and Johnny just laughed at his antics but didn’t really encourage him any further. Jaehyun, on the other hand, might have been the fuel that Yuta needed. 

Once their drinks were ready, they collected them and sat down in one of the closest tables to the magic air current of the A/C. 

Yuta learned a lot about Jaehyun, although there was plenty he already knew because, as Taeyong had whined about, Johnny talked plenty about his cool city friend. He was younger than them by two years and attended the same college as Johnny. It was the first time he visited such a small village and was rapidly growing to like it a lot.

Yuta listened to him talk and was a bit surprised at how talkative Jaehyun was. He had incorrectly regarded him as an introvert but now he could see it wasn’t the case. He had that aura, though, the “don’t-talk-to-me” aura Taeyong also emitted. While Taeyong was actually the sweetest and kindest soul ever, Jaehyun leaned more towards this cool persona who was perhaps a bit clumsy. He had managed to spill his drink a bit while moving the cup of his smoothie and had actually banged his knee against the table while trying to find a comfortable position on his seat.

He was fresh and friendly and _new_ and Yuta found himself being pulled in by his charming smile and soothing voice. Jaehyun also made him feel a bit intimidated, with his broad shoulders and rather prince-like looks. His arms also looked like he could knock out Yuta’s ass if he ever went too far. It was hot, Yuta wasn’t going to lie to himself, although he had never been very good with the _too_ good-looking type. Taeyong had always been an exception, perhaps because he had seen him at his worst or perhaps because they had grown up like brothers. That hadn’t stopped Johnny from becoming friends with him, though. Mmh. Much to think about.

Jaehyun was quite invested in Yuta’s life as well even if he admitted he knew Yuta quite well given just how much Johnny talked about him and Taeyong. 

“He showed me a lot of pictures of you two,” Jaehyun said, mouth and eyes smiling alike. “I was kinda envious, he seemed to have such a strong tie with you. Even if he occasionally remembered the way you parted ways and cursed at you, he always talked so fondly about you two. Now I see why he’s so terribly attached to you two. Well, I think Taeyong and I still need some bonding time but you’re great.” 

Something fluttered inside Yuta. Friendship was just one of the, if not the, most important things in his life. _Never betray yours_ had been one of the lessons his mother had taught him from a young age. Seeing Jaehyun appreciate the strong bond he shared with Taeyong and Johnny was flattering and. Nice. Like, super nice. He seemed genuinely interested in their friendship. 

“Johnny might look all tall and scary but he’s actually a giant teddy bear. Don’t make him mad, though, I once saw him dislocate someone’s jaw with one punch. It was awesome and a little scary.”

“When a kid called you a slur because you had pierced your ears, right? He told me.”

Yuta nodded, surprised Johnny had actually told him that anecdote. Johnny was never one for violence and had actually been quite ashamed at the way he had reacted, although he never regretted it. It seemed his friendship with Johnny ran deeper than what Yuta had suspected. Suddenly, he wondered if he had told Jaehyun of all the more than questionable things Yuta had done. He had been a good son and a good friend when a teenager, maybe a little bit rebellious, maybe a bit wild. 

“Uhm. What else did he tell you? About me?”

Jaehyun smiled knowingly and just sucked at his straw, the thick smoothie slowly climbing up with a wet sound.

“Why? Do you have any little dirty secret I should be aware of? Afraid you’ll scare me off?”

Yuta snorted. Now, this city boy was getting too cocky.

“Scare you off? It’s not like I’m trying to keep you,” he smirked, fleetingly enjoying the way Jaehyun’s smile immediately dropped. Good. Yuta did not like not having the upper hand. “Also, I don’t wanna scare Johnny’s little mild city friend.”

“That’s a lot of adjectives you used to describe me, right there,” the other chuckled, his entire demeanour changing in a second. “I might look a little bland next to you, mister ‘don’t-fuck-with-me,’ with your shiny piercings and bold hair, but don’t act too confident. I’m full of surprises. You’ll regret making such assumptions about me.” 

The confident look was way too attractive on Jaehyun, his mouth curled in a satisfied smirk and his chin slightly jutting out. Bland he had said? Nothing about him screamed bland.

“I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me, then,” Yuta replied, levelling Jaehyun with a stare. “Also, rude. ‘Don’t-fuck-with-me’? Do I look like some kind of gangster to you? Perhaps in that little city of yours people don’t know the concept of originality.”

“Oh, believe me, there are plenty of people who are well-acquainted with that word. Yet I’ve never seen anyone like you, I may not know much but I’m sure not many could pull off such a look.”

Yuta blinked, momentarily taken aback by Jaehyun’s statement. Was he... flirting? He couldn’t really tell because perhaps the other was a bit like Yuta, who had a bad case of being a serious flirt. He always did it quite innocently though, always made sure the other party knew he was just being an annoying little shit. Jaehyun didn’t look flustered at all by his own comment so Yuta let it slide. Maybe it was a city thing, being so bold.

“You are correct.” Yuta smiled, running a hand through his white hair. “But flattery will get you nowhere, Jaehyun.” He paused. “Let’s go, the sun’s going down. I did offer my amazing services so let’s get to work.”

Jaehyun laughed a little.

“There’s no harm in trying.”

{-}

“And you’re positive this is safe?”

Taeyong huffed, a bit annoyed. Yuta tried to stifle his laugh without success. Taeyong rarely got annoyed but Jaehyun kind of had been a tad bit annoying all the way to the cliffs. 

Actually, Jaehyun had seemed very excited about the whole diving thing but the closer they got to the cliffs the more restless he grew. It was especially funny because it had been Jaehyun who had wanted to come. Apparently Johnny had shown him some pictures of the last time the three friends had visited the cliffs and Jaehyun had been kind of awestruck by the height and view and had asked Johnny if they could visit the place.

Of course, Johnny being an impeccable host had arranged everything so they could spend the day near the cliffs. He had gathered all the supplies with Taeyong’s help and asked for his mom’s truck. The place wasn’t really far from the village, perhaps a mere 30 minutes by car, yet the area was really nice to spend the whole day at. Not many people visit it either, given that it had no sand shore, as it was surrounded by steep cliffs and rocky formations instead of sand where the earth met the sea. The appeal of the place resided in its lack of people around and the incredible view that could be admired from the edge of the cliffs: the vast and deep ocean in its full glory, so incredibly immense and daunting it took your breath away.

Yuta had always loved to tiptoe around the edge, the slight vertigo climbing up his legs, his heart racing, blood pumping in his ears. It was nice to be reminded once in a while just how small he was, how all problems shrunk when faced with the unavoidable truth that they were nothing in comparison with the blue monster licking at the rock beneath them. It kept him humble and it gave him some much needed clarity, the salty air cleansing him from the inside out.

“We’re not going to push you so if you fall that’s on you,” Yuta replied, quietly entertained by Jaehyun’s sudden and unexpected cowardly side. It was even funnier because it was Taeyong, who couldn’t stand height eithers, who was the one getting frustrated.

“Hey, don’t bother him,” Johnny said, walking next to Jaehyun and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay, Jaehyun. We can sit and watch from afar, you don’t have to go close to the edge. It’s dangerous. Don’t listen to Yuta, he is a bit reckless.”

Jaehyun nodded and went back to the truck to help get everything. When they had first arrived, instead of just settling comfortably and preparing for the day, they had decided to take a look so they could show Jaehyun around.

“Don’t act so cocky, you’ve never been a fan of these things either.” Yuta nudged Taeyong with his shoulder, chuckling at Taeyong’s offended expression.

“It’s not that! Johnny was all excited last night, planning everything for Jaehyun, who I remind you was the one who wanted to come in the first place, and now he’s acting like this.” 

Ah, so that was it. Yuta knew Taeyong’s obvious annoyance ran a little deeper than being bothered at Jaehyun’s hesitance. 

“Don’t be mean, he’s really cool. Apologized for the whole ignoring thing and all, just give him a chance. Have I ever been a bad judge of character?”

“No,” Taeyong mumbled. “It’s just!”

“I know, Taeyong. Let’s be more compassionate, okay? You, out of all of us, should understand him better. I’m sure he didn’t know he was going to react like this and I don’t blame him. The cliff is really high but we’ve been here since we were children so it doesn't faze us that much now. It’s his first time.”

Taeyong, for all he was willing to start petty fights, was also quick to give in when he knew he wasn't right. 

“You’re right. I’ll treat him better. He’s Johnny’s friend and...Well, I want him to like me, too. It’s obvious he already likes you so I’ll be kinder. He doesn’t seem bad I'm just-”

“Jealous,” Yuta offered when he noticed Taeyong was struggling to find a word.

“Yeah,” the other admitted.

“Well, Johnny was jealous too and that’s why we were in this whole mess in the first place. You truly are idiots. And you were really mad about that, remember? You couldn't believe he thought we were a thing and all that.”

Taeyong narrowed his eyes.

“Are you calling me a hypocrite?”

“Oops?”

He sighed.

“Yeah, I guess I deserved that. I’m a changed man now! I’ll do better. You wait, Jaehyun and I will become best friends in no time.”

“Don’t you dare replace me!” Yuta said in mock annoyance, pulling softly at Taeyong’s hair.

“Well, he’s more handsome and taller than you, perhaps you should be afraid. He looks like he could actually help me open my jars, unlike someone I know. All that lean muscle is useless if you can’t help me open my jars, you know?”

“Fuck you, Lee Taeyong. I’m too pretty to be slandered like this. I’m sure he will drop your clingy ass right away. No one’s willing to put up with your bullshit as much as I do,” Yuta retaliated. His friend punched him on the shoulder and he punched him back. Taeyong gasped at him, offended.

“That hurt, you fucker!”

“Who’s the weak one now?” Taeyong went for his hair and Yuta tried to bite his hand, the two easily getting into a push and pull fight.

“Kids, please. Don’t fight. Come help us unload everything, alright?” Johnny said, his voice enough for Yuta and Taeyong to drop it.

“I’ll get you, Taeyong. You should sleep with your eyes open,” Yuta threatened, no real bite in his tone. He put his friend in a chokehold and rubbed his hair frantically.

“I’d like to see your twink ass trying,” Taeyong wheezed, nudging Yuta in the ribs and successfully pulling the other away from him. 

“Guys!”

“Going!”

The pair smiled at each other and Taeyong intertwined their arms, prompting Yuta to walk faster towards where Johnny and Jaehyun were almost done with the baggage.

Yuta purposely ignored the fact that Taeyong still hadn’t told him what had happened when Jaehyun and he had left the other alone with Johnny. He hadn't had the opportunity to sit down with Taeyong and have a proper talk about what had happened between him and Johnny. For now, things seemed rather calm and Yuta had been very pleased when he returned to Johnny’s house to find them comfortably lying on the couch watching a movie. Nobody had wanted to say anything so Yuta just let it go, opting to remain silent for the sake of their comfort. An option he rarely went for but he was in a good mood after spending the whole day with Jaehyun. So. He wasn’t going to dwell too much on that little detail either.

{-}

“You don’t really have to jump, you know that, right?”

Jaehyun released a shaky breath and took a step back.

“I feel a bit bad,” he confessed. “I mean, Johnny was really excited to come here and now I’m kinda dampening the mood. Gosh, you must think I’m really lame.”

“Jaehyun, it’s okay, really. Taeyong didn’t jump either, he’s also afraid of heights. Don’t beat yourself up. And you’re not dampening the mood either, so stop that.”

Yuta looked down where Johnny and Taeyong were swimming around near the flattest formations of the rock they usually used as a ladder to climb back up. 

“Take it easy, city boy,” Yuta tried to cheer him up although he knew words weren’t exactly efficient when your pride was at stake. Yuta had also been there a couple of times.

“Can you stay here with me, please? I promise I’ll jump. I just...need a bit more time.”

“I won’t go anywhere,” Yuta promised him.

Jaehyun seemed to relax a bit after that, shoulders no longer as tense.

After they were done eating and resting, Johnny had proposed they go for a swim in the sea. Since there was no sand shore there weren’t many options for such an activity and there were only two possible ways: you either jumped from the lowest cliffs or just made your way down to the flattest rock formations. The easiest and most exciting way was of course to just jump. Johnny and Yuta had run towards the edge, feet unbothered by the heat emanating from the ground, the hard rock hot to the touch, soaked in sun rays since very early. 

Yuta laughed while jumping, flailing his arms around. His voice suddenly drowned out when the ocean swallowed him whole, cushioning Yuta’s fall and promptly propelling him up again. Johnny followed him shortly after, his screech incredibly loud in the intimate bubble created by just their four presences for kilometres around.

The adrenaline rush always left Yuta panting in the water, nevermind the shock of the temperature difference. The water was really fucking cold but at least the waves were quite mild that day, a barely there soft sway of current.

Taeyong had helped Jaehyun go down to the water so he didn’t have to jump. Yet after some time, Jaehyun had truly wanted to jump from the cliffs as well.

And now they were there, Yuta accompanying Jaehyun, waiting for him to grow a pair so he could jump. 

“Ah, I’m really sorry,” Jaehyun apologized again. He had walked towards the edge only to take some steps back once again. “It’s really scary.”

Yuta smiled. This Jaehyun was rather cute.

“Like I said, don’t worry. Take your time. Though the more you think about it the less you’ll want to jump. I’m speaking from experience. Don’t walk to the edge, come here,” Yuta gently pulled him by the arm until he was facing him, back against the ocean 

“Look at me,” he said, prompting Jaehyun to stop looking at the ground. “If you don’t want to do it, it’s fine. I promise I won’t say anything, neither will the guys. I know it’s scary, okay? So don’t beat yourself up for it. We can go down to the water the other way, I don’t mind. Don’t feel pressured.”

“I’m kinda embarrassed,” Jaehyun finally said, his ears growing redder by the second. “The other day I was all, ‘oh I’m full of surprises’ yet here I am, acting like a little mild city boy.”

Yuta cackled when he heard the same words he had told Jaehyun coming from the other’s mouth. Ah, he was really funny. And he could lower his guard quite fast. Yuta’s heart was thumping loudly in his chest. Vulnerability had always been so incredibly attractive for Yuta because he was exactly like that. 

“I’ll keep your secret safe with me, don’t worry, okay? Come on, I promise I won’t think less of you. Let’s just go with the others.”

Jaehyun bit the inside of his cheek but said nothing. Yuta sighed and started walking away from the cliff, his feet carrying him towards the zone where Taeyong and Johnny were.

“Wait.” 

Yuta stopped in his tracks when he felt Jaehyun tugging at his arm.

“If I jump...can I ask for something from you?”

“It’s you who wants to jump, Jaehyun,” Yuta reminded him. He was a bit lost as to why such a request would actually help Jaehyun.

“Yes, but-” Jaehyun pulled Yuta towards him a bit more. “I need a little motivation. Please help me? I promise I’ll jump.”

The thing was that Yuta knew he didn’t have to agree, it wasn’t like he cared whether Jaehyun jumped or not. Yet the other looked so nervous, and he truly looked like he wanted to keep his pride. What was the worst thing Jaehyun could ask from him? There was little Yuta wouldn’t do for a dare, he had grown up with Johnny after all. Nothing really scared him much at this point in his life. He was pretty damn sure he had done it all. Little villages like theirs got boring too fast and the sparks born from boredom were more often than not quite dangerous.

To sum up, it didn’t mean much to Yuta. Yet it obviously meant a lot to Jaehyun and he could understand why. He wanted to impress them, show he wasn’t a little mild city boy.

Ah, camaraderie was such a powerful tool, Yuta mused.

“Alright. If you jump, you can ask whatever from me, Jaehyun. Show me you are no wimp.”

The other smiled, almost relieved. 

“Great,” he said. He took a few deep breaths with his eyes closed and Yuta silently admired the gentle slope of his nose and the way his eyelashes rested under his eyes. He opened his eyes, a new determined glint glossing over them. “Can you accompany me to the edge, then?”

Yuta snickered. The nerve.

“Come on, pussycat, let’s get you to the edge.” 

To Yuta’s utmost surprise, Jaehyun grabbed him by the hand and silently made his way towards the edge. Even when he stood just a foot from the edge, he didn't let go. His grip was tight and Yuta’s hand felt embarrassingly small between Jaehyun’s warm palms. The skin-to-skin contact made Yuta’s stomach flip and it was kind of embarrassing that such a little action had his entire nervous system shutting down, brain hyper aware only of the nonexistent space between Yuta and Jaehyun’s hands.

A squeeze pulled Yuta out of his internal crisis and he averted his eyes from their joined hands to look at Jaehyun. The other was already looking at him, a handsome smile on his face.

“See you down there,” he said before letting go of Yuta’s hand and jumping into the water.

He screamed, of course he did. And Yuta laughed out loud when the noise suddenly died down, the sound of Jaehyun’s body hitting the water filling the air instead.

Johnny and Taeyong cheered from their place, surprised that Jaehyun had finally jumped.

Yuta looked down just in time to see Jaehyun’s head emerge from the water.

“Fuck! It’s really fucking cold!” 

Yuta laughed out loud, throwing his head back. Still laughing, he took three steps back and then ran towards the edge, his feet carrying him lightly and propelling him off the ledge to jump high in the air before unavoidably falling down towards the blue waves, swaying invitingly, ready to catch his fall.

Ah. 

Summer was really the best.

{-} 

No matter how much Yuta liked to feel the sand under his feet, the sun on his skin and the salt in his hair, all standing like solid proof that summer was really at its peak, he very much enjoyed smelling like clean soap and being into comfortable dried clothes, skin properly moisturized.

They were currently chilling at Johnny’s, the four laying on the grass, exhausted after their excursion. After the sun had begun setting, Taeyong had decided it was best if they packed everything up and went back before nighttime arrived. No one protested against the idea and soon they were already on the road, windows down and music playing loud. 

Yuta felt like a character in one of those mainstream pop music videos with a warm filter to make the scene look even cozier and inviting. The sun, round and yellow, was already half hidden, colouring everything in an intense pink tone. It was so pretty Yuta wished he could stop the time, live forever in a moment in which his youth was immortalized and his back was lax, weightless from being unbothered by any kind of worry.

Perfect, perfect summer, with its golden tones and warm nights, impregnated with the sweet smell of ripe fruit and sweat. Yuta was a summer child and he would always be grateful to be born alongside the sound of seagulls and the smell of seaweed under his nose, skin perpetually golden and feet calloused for walking barefoot everywhere.

“I’m starving,” Taeyong said, tone groggy from sleep. “Should we order in? I’m way too comfortable to leave this spot.” 

He really looked like the embodiment of peace, eyes closed, head cushioned by Johnny’s thigh and back laying against Yuta’s mom's “beach-perfect” soft blanket. 

“Yeah, does fried chicken sound okay?” Yuta offered. When Johnny didn’t reply Yuta suspected he had fallen asleep, had given in to the comfort and the perfect warm temperature.

“I can cook,” Jaehyun suddenly said. “I mean, if you guys still want to order I have no objections. But I thought it’d be nice if I could do something for you, since you’ve been really nice to me.”

Ah. A peace offering. 

“Ah, you. City boy. I like you,” Taeyong said, giggling softly. “I don’t mind. Unless you need help? Then I would rather we order in.”

Jaehyun chuckled, clearly amused by the fact that Taeyong seemed almost drunk. Yuta wasn’t sure if Jaehyun and Taeyong had talked like they had, although he had noticed that Taeyong had been really kind to Jaehyun throughout the day, had called him cute and poked his dimples even. Jaehyun seemed a bit lost at first but he had eventually warmed up, letting himself be babied by the older boy. Johnny had been the most touched by their interactions and it had been very entertaining to see, the oldest shooting hearts through his eyes whenever Taeyong and Jaehyun did the bare minimum such as smiling warmly to each other.

“Nah, it’s okay. I can manage, you stay there. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“What are you cooking?” Taeyong asked, eyes still closed.

“I was thinking about japchae.”

“A man after Yuta’s heart, I see.”

Yuta groaned, feeling himself flushing slightly over the silly comment.

“Huh?”

“Don’t listen to him,” Yuta interjected, before Taeyong spat some other bullshit in that drowsy state of his. “I love japchae, that’s why. I always ask him to cook it for me after a long day.”

Taeyong hummed and nodded slowly, feeling like he had already talked too much.

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Jaehyun said. “Well then, I guess japchae it is.”

“Come on, I’ll help you,” Yuta declared. “I have to make sure your city flavour won’t mess with the core flavour of such an amazing dish.” He promptly stood up and offered a hand to Jaehyun to help him stand up.

Of course it was a bullshit excuse but Yuta didn’t feel entirely comfortable watching his two best friends snuggling right across him. He felt like he was intruding and he really wanted to gift them some alone time. Johnny would go back to the city at the end of the summer and Yuta wanted them to have enough moments in which they could fully be in each other’s presence only. Of course they wouldn’t act all lovey-dovey in front of Jaehyun and Yuta, and Taeyong was terribly affectionate so Yuta knew the moment he felt safe of prying eyes, he would latch onto Johnny right away.

And well. Maybe he wanted to spend some time with Jaehyun, the ghost touch of his skin against Yuta’s still very present in his mind. If anything, he hadn't been able to stop replaying such a small interaction all day. It was a bit embarrassing, and it made Yuta want to hide his head in the ground. God, why had he been so affected by holding hands? Was he twelve or something? 

“Alright, I can use an assistant. But! I don’t want any objections. You can’t say anything until you taste it, deal?”

Yuta snorted.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, city boy.”

{-}

It was clear Jaehyun knew what he was doing, his movements clear and precise while he chopped all the vegetables. He moved with ease in Johnny’s kitchen and Yuta suspected that it wasn’t the first time Jaehyun cooked in it. 

“What, cat got your tongue? No witty remarks about my skills?” Jaehyun teased the other, not taking his eyes off from the meat he was currently marinating with mushrooms and garlic.

Yuta was sitting on the stool behind the breakfast bar, silently admiring the way Jaehyun cooked. Jaehyun said he preferred cooking on his own and that it was okay for Yuta to just sit down and watch. Yuta wasn’t offended, if anything, he was relieved because cooking really wasn’t one of his favourite activities.

“You look like you know what you’re doing so I’ve decided to trust you,” Yuta admitted, elbows propped on the wood counter and head between his palms. Johnny’s dad’s cooking apron was tightly knotted around Jaehyun’s waist and well. It was a great view, especially because Jaehyun’s shirt kept riding on the back. 

“Ah, thank you then.”

“I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t know what to expect when you offered to cook for us. I’ve gotta admit you surprised me. I mean, I have yet to taste the dish but I can tell it’s gonna be great.”

Jaehyun briefly looked away from the meat to smile at Yuta, dimples appearing.

“That’s great. Told you I’m full of surprises,” he said, ripping a laugh out of Yuta. “Couldn’t have you thinking I’m lame after today. I needed to redeem myself somehow.”

_Thump._

“You’re doing a great job,” Yuta joked, praying the sudden nervousness he felt didn’t bleed through his tone. “You aren’t so bad for a city boy.”

It was Jaehyun’s time to laugh, hands expertly stir-frying the vegetables in the skillet, wrist moving with practiced ease.

“Good. I want to show you my cool sides only.”

_Thump._

“A bit late for that, don’t you think? I mean, you did hold my hand like a scared little boy before jumping. I thought you were going to bruise me with how strong your grip was.”

Yuta watched with satisfaction at the way Jaehyun’s hand lost coordination, wooden spoon clinking against the outside part of the skillet instead of the vegetables within with a loud “clunk”. 

“A minor misstep,” he clicked his tongue, gaining his composure back quite quickly. “And anyways, I don’t regret it. Holding your hand like that.”

Yuta didn’t have a comeback for that so he just stayed silent, growing annoyed at the little content smile playing on Jaehyun’s face. He could have this round, whatever. It was just some playful banter.

They didn’t speak after that and Jaehyun went back to cooking in silence. Yuta had gotten his phone out at some point, going over the pictures and videos he had taken earlier that day: of his friends, of himself, of the pretty landscape. Suddenly, a photo of Jaehyun popped up and Yuta almost fell off the chair. God, he had forgotten he had taken such a picture. He immediately moved on to another picture and shyly looked up to see if Jaehyun was paying attention to him. It would be hella awkward to explain why he had a photo of just Jaehyun in his phone, especially one that had been secretly taken. 

Fortunately, Jaehyun was too concentrated on rinsing the glass noodles to even pay attention to the way Yuta’s face felt on fire. 

He now remembered the moment in which he snapped the shot. Jaehyun was still debating whether he would jump or not from the cliff, he kept going back and forward. Yuta had found the situation funny and had taken his phone out to record the whole thing; bribery material was always welcomed after all. Yet once he opened the camera, the image that greeted him through the screen hadn’t been funny. Jaehyun’s toned back shone under the sun, his skin way too white. Yuta had even made fun of him for that, calling it such a common “city boy feature”. His head was slightly turned upwards, as if Jaehyun was trying to find courage in the cloudless sky. 

In short, he looked _really_ good. Yuta’s finger took the picture automatically, and once he realised what he had done he immediately put his phone away. Without deleting the photo first. Rookie mistake.

Although now that he had the opportunity to do it, Yuta didn’t really feel compelled to. Ah. Infatuation sometimes really made one unreasonable.

“It’s done,” Jaehyun announced, wiping his hands on the front of the apron. Yuta looked up from his phone. “Come have a taste.”

Yuta jumped from the stool and left his phone on the counter.

“It looks really good,” Yuta praised him, already loving the careful way Jaehyun had arranged the dish. His stomach seemingly agreed, rambling the moment the sweet and spicy smell from the japchae filled his senses. 

“Thank you, I hope it tastes good as well.” Jaehyun then grabbed some chopsticks and carefully picked some noodles and vegetables, arranging them into a bite-size portion. “Here,” he said, raising the chopsticks to Yuta’s mouth. “Open up.”

Yuta was too hungry to over-analyze Jaehyun’s action so he opened his mouth obediently and moved a bit forward so he could bite into the portion of noodles.

The surprised noise that left his mouth made Jaehyun smile widely. It was really good, a bit on the spicy side just like Yuta liked it.

“Whoa,” he said after he was done chewing and swallowing. “It’s delicious! You are a really good cook.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Jaehyun smiled gently at him, his eyes slightly crinkling up.

“I’m sure even Taeyong will recognize your skills, and he’s a really picky judge. I’m gonna call them now so we can eat before the japchae grows cold. Don’t worry about cleaning up, I'll do the dishes!”

Yuta didn’t even wait for a response before turning his back and taking a step towards Johnny’s garden.

“Yuta, wait,” Jaehyun called.

He stopped on his tracks.

“What is it?”

Jaehyun walked up to him and leaned in.

“You know,” he started, whispering as if he was telling him a secret. His breath tickled Yuta’s ear. “I lied. I actually knew japchae was your favourite. Johnny told me.”

And then he straightened his back and walked past Yuta, towards Johnny’s garden.

Yuta just stood there, rooted to the spot and heart hammering wildly in his chest. He could literally feel the way his cheeks were heating up.

Suddenly, the lyrics to that one song Taeyong couldn’t stop playing popped into his head.

_More than just a connection, it was so strange. The moment of perception, I knew I needed a taste._

Well _fuck_.

{-}

“So, Jaehyun?”

“So, Johnny?” Yuta fired back.

Taeyong sighed.

“Fair enough.”

“You still haven’t told me what you talked about, you know. Some friend you are.”

They were lying on Yuta’s bed, the window opened and the fan turned to high. Johnny’s family and Jaehyun had gone to the natural reservoir a couple of kilometres away to spend the day, leaving Taeyong and Yuta to fend on their own. Not like they weren’t used to being just the two of them, yet since Johnny had arrived they had met up every single day so it felt a little weird not having him around.

It felt a lot like when Johnny was in the city. Just that this time around, it didn’t sit well with them that it was so hot yet Johnny still wasn’t around. 

“You know we didn’t have a good opportunity to sit down and talk.”

“Yeah, but now I’m giving you a chance. So. Talk.”

Taeyong remained silent for a little while, allowing the Spotify playlist softly playing through Yuta’s speaker mixed with the sound of the fan to fill in the quietness. Yuta didn’t press, enjoying the way the air from the fan cooled down the sweat in his forehead. He knew it wasn’t good for his health but it sure was nice to battle the temperature of his body.

“He apologized, you know. For assuming you and I were a thing, for being quite clipped the first days, for not realising me choosing to stay here had nothing to do with the fact that I did or didn’t like him. We talked a lot. You were gone the whole day after all.”

“So you sucked faces or not?” Yuta only chuckled when Taeyong groaned.

“Of course we did, we’re not twelve for fuck’s sake. I had already forgiven him in my heart so I let him speak to his heart’s content because I knew he needed it. I’m not gonna lie, I spent the entire time wishing he would hurry the fuck up because I just wanted to kiss him. And you know when he’s nervous he kinda stutters so it was literally hell. When he was done I just said ‘fucking finally’ and proceeded to jump him.”

“Such a romanticist.”

“It was long overdue,” Taeyong defended himself and Yuta silently agreed with him.

“So you’re a thing now?”

“We didn’t put a label to it. Because, you know. He’s gonna leave by the end of the month, so. I don’t know if I’m ready for a long-distance relationship. I had a hard time being away from him this year, and we weren’t anything then.”

Yuta knew. He had been the one to wipe away the other’s tears after all.

“Why can’t he just stay here, with us?” 

“For the same reason we won’t go with him to the city.”

Taeyong turned around to face Yuta, who mirrored his action, tucking his knees in.

“I wish things were simpler.” 

“You can go with him, Taeyong. You know the same course of studies is in his college. I don’t understand why you-”

“Stop it,” Taeyong interrupted him. He then flicked him on the forehead.

“Hey!”

“Don’t be dumb, Yuta. You already know I won’t do that. Stop bringing it up, okay?”

“If it’s because of that thing we promised back then, I release you from it,” Yuta said, not backing off. He just wanted his best friend to stop hurting, wanted him to be happy once and for all. And if that entailed leaving Yuta behind in the village on his own then so be it. “I’m sure the course of studies is even better in the city. You can afford it, you told me your aunt lives there.”

Taeyong didn’t say anything, his big eyes staring back at Yuta in a silent threat. Yuta stared back at him, challenging him.

“You don’t mean that,” he finally whispered. “It hurts me when you say those things so please stop it. You won’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Taeyong-”

“I’m serious, Yuta. What, you gonna pull a Johnny on me and assume what’s better for me? Think you know better than me what I want?”

Yuta averted his eyes, the realisation that he had been treating him the same way as Johnny eating at up guiltily. God, he had even gone and told him Taeyong was a full grown up and to stop viewing him as somebody who couldn’t decide for himself. And yet, there he was, acting the same way.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, eyes still down. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I don’t wanna feel like you’re holding back for me.”

“I’m not,” Taeyong promised, hooking his fingers under Yuta’s chin, prompting the other to look at him. “You’re not holding me back from anything. Staying here is my own decision, and yeah, perhaps staying by your side plays a huge part in it but I haven’t regretted it once and I won’t do it anytime soon. Just accept that you will have to stick with me for a long time, okay?”

Yuta bit his lip and nodded. 

“I love you,” he said instead of apologizing again. “I’m proud of you.” And then he buried his neck in Taeyong’s neck, unbothered by the moist skin and heat. Taeyong wrapped his arms around Yuta and sighed, welcoming him warmly. The warmth of Taeyong’s body seeped rapidly into him evoking the most intimate of feelings, even more familiar than the sun’s embrace.

“And I love you, dummy. You know this. We kinda belong together so stop trying to get rid of me.”

Yuta nodded, inhaling the scent of Taeyong’s skin: slightly salty, slightly sweaty, slightly sugary, entirely Taeyong. The scent of a lifetime bond.

“Don’t think you’re free from some explanations, sir. You better open up about the whole Jaehyun situation. I swear to God, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve caught him staring at you. And don’t think you’re any better.”

Yuta groaned. He did not want to talk with Taeyong about it. It’d mean he would have to acknowledge his infatuation with Jaehyun out loud. With the city boy who looked whiter than Yuta’s whitest bedsheets, who couldn’t jump from the cliff even little children jumped from, who had actually screamed the first time he touched seaweed barefoot. 

“How cliché, Yuta. Falling for the charming and handsome city boy who cooked japchae because he wanted to impress you.”

“Fuck off,” Yuta relented, pushing Taeyong off the bed with his feet and arms, lovely embrace be damned. 

The other promptly fell on the floor with a loud “thump”. Instead of cursing, Taeyong laughed because he knew he had hit a nerve. Riling Yuta up was always so easy.

“Just go for it, Yuta. Treat yourself to a young and fine specimen from the city. Those are hard to come by,” Taeyong continued, still laughing and rolling on the floor. Yuta absolutely loathed him right now. “I’m sure he won’t mind if you jumped at him, if anything, I think he’s ready to catch you already.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up, Lee Taeyong.”

{-}

Yuta knew exactly what was gonna come out of Johnny’s mouth before he even opened it. He loved to brag about this even if he wasn’t involved at all. He would never understand why, it was just a party trick he had learned because Taeyong had been adamant about learning it with him, too. Yuta knew Taeyong had learned it in order to impress Johnny, unaware that he could just blink and Johnny would be ready to drop on his knees for him. Which was rather convenient since Taeyong blinked whenever he tried to wink. 

“Taeyong and Yuta actually know how to do it,” Johnny said, taking a sip of his marguerite. “They’re really quick as well.”

Jaehyun looked at them, suddenly excited. Yuta groaned internally, already dreading the moment he would have to go through with it. It’s not like he minded doing it but he really didn't understand the hype about such a basic trick.

“Really?”

Taeyong nodded, proud, already fishing for the cherry inside his drink. He nudged Yuta on the shoulder, silently prompting him to get on with it, too. He rolled his eyes but obliged, taking the cherry out of his drink and separating the stem from the meaty fruit.

“Yeah! It’s actually really easy, we’ll show you.”

Taeyong looked at Yuta and nodded, the two putting the cherry stems into their mouths at the same time. After a couple of seconds, they opened it again, equally perfectly knotted stems sitting on their tongues.

“That’s…” Jaehyun stuttered, eyes transfixed on Yuta’s opened mouth. “That’s actually rather hot.”

“Right?” Taeyong asked excitedly. He covered his mouth and spitted the stem onto his hand. “I always tell Yuta the same but he always says he doesn’t see why.”

“It’s just a stupid party trick, it’s not that amazing,” Yuta muttered, mirroring Taeyong’s action and spitting the stem into his hand.

When he looked up from his palm, he found Jaehyun was still looking at him. The other quickly averted his eyes and took a sip from his own drink. Yuta could see the blush spreading through Jaehyun’s neck and cheeks, ears already a furious red. The sight made Yuta’s insides flip. Jaehyun was _so_ cute sometimes, the continuous whiplash he got from the younger boy wasn’t really helping with his case.

Yuta might not have found the trick too out of this world but he guessed he was glad he knew how to tie a cherry stem with his tongue now. If it meant watching Jaehyun’s flustered expression then it was worth it. 

“How are you finding the village so far, Jaehyun?”

“It’s great. It’s very quiet, unlike the city. I really like it, I can see why Johnny missed this place so badly.”

Taeyong nodded, satisfied with the answer.

“I’m glad. We were worried you would find this place too boring.”

“Not a chance. At least not with you guys around. You are great.”

The smug expression on Johnny’s face made Yuta chuckle softly. He understood how the other was feeling, though. He was proud of Taeyong and Johnny so it was only obvious to feel a bit complacent about other people admitting your friends were great. Yuta was glad Taeyong had asked that question. It wasn’t as if he doubted Jaehyun was having a good time or not; according to Johnny at least, Jaehyun was having the time of his life. It felt good, hearing the other say it out loud. Yuta, leaving all teasing aside, really cared about the younger feeling comfortable and entertained in the town. Around them. Around him.

“Told you my friends are fucking amazing,” Johnny declared, laughing out loud.

Jaehyun chuckled and briefly looked at Yuta before addressing his friend.

“Mmh. I guess they are.”

Suddenly, Taeyong froze and held his hands up, asking the other three to be quiet. Yuta frowned and before he could even ask what was wrong, a familiar tune started playing in the background. Until now, Yuta hadn’t really paid attention to the slow jazz music that helped set the mood in the bar, if anything, he had completely tuned it out. 

“It’s my song!” Taeyong claimed excitedly. Johnny laughed and Yuta just rolled his eyes. 

“Oh, this is the song you played almost on loop when we went to the cliffs, right? I kinda have it stuck in my head now but I didn’t remember where I had listened to it.” Jaehyun said, smiling. “It’s a nice song.”

Taeyong’s smile only grew bigger.

“I know, right?” 

{-}

“I told you not to let Taeyong drink too much, you know he’s a lightweight.”

“Why are we even going back to your house? I could just drop him at home.”

Jaehyun watched, amused as Yuta and Johnny bickered, an almost passed out Taeyong hanging from their shoulders. They two were slightly inebriated and it made the whole scene all the more comical, their words somewhat slurred and their cheeks a rosy red. 

“Because he left his keys at my place.”

“And why am I going back with you? I could have just gone home,” Yuta whined, his arm secured around Taeyong’s waist. “Jaehyun looks strong enough to carry Taeyong.”

Johnny laughed at that and Yuta joined him, as if sharing a private joke that got completely lost on Jaehyun. They soon forgot their argument and just concentrated on not falling while carrying their friend with them. Jaehyun could only imagine how many times the trio had been in the same situation, they seemed to know exactly where to step despite the lack of light on the road.

Once inside Johnny’s house, Yuta just forwent holding Taeyong in favour of sitting down on the couch with a groan.

“Hey, come help me, you fatass.”

Yuta shook his head from his place sprawled on the coach.

“Your stairs are too narrow, you do it.”

Jaehyun thought about offering his help when he realised what Yuta said was true. There was no way Johnny, Taeyong and Jaehyun would fit through the stairs. Instead, he palmed his friend on the shoulder and shortly after joined Yuta on the couch.

“We’ll wait here,” Jaehyun said. “I’ll keep Yuta company in the meantime.”

Johnny snorted.

“Yeah, you do that. Don’t take advantage of my friend, though.”

“Hey,” Yuta protested, face squished against one of the armrests. “I can totally kick his ass if he tries any funny business.”

Jaehyun smiled.

“You heard him, Johnny. He’s perfectly capable of taking care of himself.”

The other just sighed and hoisted Taeyong up effortlessly, accommodating his limbs around his own body.

“I’ll just go put him to bed, I don’t think he’s in any state to go back home. Yuta, you staying as well? It’ll be a tight fit but you can sleep on the couch there.”

“Nah, I’m le-”

“I think it’ll be better if you stay. I don’t think Johnny wants to walk you home and come back again. It’s rather late as well.”

Johnny raised his eyebrows, the surprise in his face evident. It only lasted a second before a slow smile took over his features.

“Wanna sleep on the couch too, Jaehyun?”

“S-shut up. You know I’m being reasonable.”

“Stop fucking around and just go put Taeyong to sleep, will you,” Yuta interjected. “I’ll just crash here, go bring me a blanket or something before getting into bed with Taeyong.”

“I’m not going to do that!”

“Whatever Johnny, just go.”

It seemed the other tried to argue back but decided against it and just exhaled tiredly. He accommodated Taeyong again and went upstairs, leaving Jaehyun and Yuta alone.

“Finally,” Yuta muttered, getting comfy on the coach. “I’m beat and I didn’t even drink that much.”

Jaehyun chuckled and stood up from the couch, freeing space so Yuta could stretch all the way. He made his way towards the digital piano set up against the wall and sat down on the stool, plugging the headphones in in the process. 

Yuta watched curiously how Jaehyun rotated his shoulders before starting to play. He knew the piano had been a gift for Johnny’s 16th birthday, and when they were younger he had tried to teach Taeyong and Yuta how to play. Johnny was quite good at it, and had always loved anything related to music, the reason why he had decided to pursue composition in the city. 

It was strange, watching someone play the piano without actually hearing the sound of the keys. He observed the way Jaehyun’s fingers flew all over the old keyboard, his long fingers pressing on the keys expertly. Yuta didn’t know Jaehyun could play the piano.

He remained on the couch, silently taking in the way Jaehyun seemed so relaxed while playing, his wide back straight and his head moving to the rhythm of a tuneless song. The scene in front of him made Yuta smile. It seemed the city boy did hide a lot of surprises inside of him.

Jaehyun stopped playing when he felt a hand lightly nudging his shoulder. He took off one earphone and turned his head. Yuta motioned for him to scoot over so he could sit on the stool with him and Jaehyun immediately complied.

“Hey.”

“I didn’t know you could play.”

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” Jaehyun teased with a smirk.

Yuta punched him softly on the shoulder, eliciting a short laugh from Jaehyun.

“I’m realising that,” Yuta replied, clicking his tongue. “Pass me an earphone. How do I know you’re not just pressing random keys, I can’t hear you. Maybe you’re just fucking with me.”

The other laughed and shook his head. Yuta thought Jaehyun looked terribly handsome when he laughed like that, all tired and softly.

“Here,” Jaehyun maneuvered the cord so he could pass the earphones to Yuta. 

“Don’t you need to hear, though? Let’s put one side each.”

“It’s fine. I’m a pro.” Jaehyun wiggled his eyebrows and Yuta rolled his eyes. 

“Okay, pro. Show me what you’ve got,” Yuta said with finality while putting the earphones.

The tune that started playing was rather familiar and Yuta couldn’t pinpoint exactly where he had heard it before. It was a tranquil melody and it made Yuta want to hum along. Immediately, scenes of the things he had done in the summer so far started popping in his head. Yuta found it very odd, how a simple melody could unfold so many images in his head. When he understood what kind of scenes the tune evoked, he realised exactly what song Jaehyun was playing. 

He chuckled, remembering the scene at the bar.

It was Taeyong’s song, that seemed to bleed through all of his summer memories. The soundtrack of that particular season. It seemed not even Jaehyun could help but hear the song everywhere.

The song sounded a lot more mellow and melancholic in the piano. It was quite soothing and he found himself relaxing on the stool, head unconsciously moving to the slow beat, Jaehyun a warm presence next to him.

Once Jaehyun was done playing, Yuta took off the earphones, a sleepy smile adorning his face.

“Do I pass?”

“Barely,” Yuta joked. “That was great.”

When Jaehyun turned his torso to look at Yuta properly, the other realised just how close they were.

“I’m glad you liked it,” Jaehyun admitted sheepishly.

“You just keep surprising,” Yuta whispered. He was afraid if he spoke any louder the midnight spell in which he felt suddenly trapped would break. His heart was beating loudly in his ears and his palms were sweating.

“You, too,” Jaehyun immediately said. “That trick? With the cherry stem?”

“You can’t compare such a lame trick with being able to play an instrument,” Yuta chuckled. “It’s okay, I’ll let you win this time.”

“No,” Jaehyun insisted. Suddenly, he was whispering as well. Yuta got startled when Jaehyun timidly raised an arm and cupped his chin, thumb resting on his lower lip. “Really. Back then, I…”

Yuta could see the way Jaehyun was eyeing his mouth and it made his pulse skyrocket. The other’s thumb a searing weight on top of his lip. They were just so close, yet to Yuta, they weren’t close enough.

“It was really sexy,” Jaehyun continued. He swallowed slowly, hand still tightly around Yuta’s face. Just as timidly as the younger, Yuta raised his hand and slowly rested it on top of Jaehyun’s thigh. He wasn’t sure if he suddenly felt dizzy because of the tension he could _physically_ feel between them or because of that one unnecessary marguerite. 

“At that moment, I just…” Jaehyun leaned in just the slightest. His breath hitched when he felt Yuta gripping his thigh harder. God, Jaehyun had barely drunk yet he felt buzzed, he could feel his heart trying to claw its way out of his chest. “Lately, you’ve been-”

“Yuta, here’s your blanket!” 

The two sprung apart, taken aback by Johnny’s impromptu appearance.

“Sorry, am I interrupting something?”

“N-no,” Yuta immediately jumped, standing up from the stool on weak knees. “Jaehyun was showing me he could also play the piano.” He walked towards his friend and accepted the blanket. “Is Taeyong alright?”

“Yeah, already sleeping like a baby. I should probably go and sleep, too.” Yuta smiled, relieved his little tactic helped in diverting Johnny’s attention. It obviously helped that the other was still a little drunk, mind a bit hazy with alcohol and sleep.

“You go do that, big boy. I’ll just sleep on the couch. Thanks for the blanket, by the way.”

“No prob. Jaehyun, you coming?”

“R-right,” Jaehyun stood up from the stool. “Mmh. Goodnight, Yuta,” he greeted when he walked past him to join Johnny on the stairs. He was still a little red in the face and Yuta was sure his face wasn’t in a better state.

“Night, Jaehyun,” he greeted back, biting his lip as he watched the two friends disappear.

_I felt with that emotion_

_When your hands touched my face_

_I just had that feeling_

_That I knew you from away_

Yuta groaned, Taeyong’s favourite song showing up announced in his mind once again. He plopped on the couch and took off his shoes, rapidly making himself comfortable on the leather cushions. The ghostly touch of Jaehyun’s fingers on his face felt just as warm as the blanket covering his body.

He only hoped Jaehyun wouldn’t be able to stop replaying that moment on the piano like Yuta did.

{-}

“Where did they say they would wait for us?”

Taeyong tried to survey the crowd that had gathered in the main square, it seemed the whole village was out and, well, it wasn’t like he hadn’t been expecting it. The two-day festival was rather special for the village, and though it wasn’t a huge or much elaborated thing, it was one of the highlights of summer. A lot of craftspeople came from other small villages near the area to showcase their work and most of the restaurants brought their food out to the streets to serve at stalls and wandering servers after the streets were closed off. 

All kinds of pretty and simple trimmings were hung throughout the main square, accompanying the traditional lanterns that lit up every space. It was a rather charming scene and Yuta loved it very much, nevermind the fact that he knew by heart every little element in store. It was one of the events he always looked forward to the most all year, especially the second day. As an unspoken rule, Yuta went to the festival with his family on the first day and with Johnny and Taeyong on the second day.

They would spend generous amounts of money on street food and little trinkets like animal masks and plastic LED bracelets whose battery suspiciously lasted just one night. 

Festival night was perfect to unwind, to forget about all those worries that would usually flood Yuta’s mind. A night that said _take a break, breathe, enjoy._ And that was exactly what Yuta was planning to do. The fact that Jaehyun would also partake in the festival had Yuta’s excitement skyrocketing. The thumping of his heart had doubled its tempo with the promise of spending such a special night for Yuta with the city boy.

“I see them!”

Yuta’s eyes followed Taeyong’s fingers and he easily recognized the two figures standing near the small pond in the centre of the square.

_Thump._

“Johnny, Jaehyun!” Taeyong called their attention. He grabbed Yuta’s hand and started walking towards them when he saw them wave back.

_Thump-thump._

“Hey, guys,” Johnny greeted, smiling. “You’re kinda late.”

Yuta laughed. The memory of Taeyong freaking out because his hair wasn’t cooperating and having a minor breakdown in his tiny bathroom still fresh in his mind. 

“But now we’re here and that’s all that matters,” Taeyong defended himself, cheeks tinted with a light red. Johnny laughed and, in a totally unexpectedly bold movement, grabbed Taeyong’s hand. 

Even Yuta’s heart had jumped at that, so he couldn’t imagine how Taeyong was feeling at the moment. 

“Let’s go then.”

The pair started walking as Yuta and Jaehyun took off after them.

The square was quite crowded. It was likely that almost the whole town had gone out that night to enjoy the festival.

“You look great,” Jaehyun suddenly leaned in and said. 

_Thump-thump-thump._

Yuta reluctantly looked up at him. He had sort of tried to avoid looking at Jaehyun as they walked beside one another because the moment he had spotted the other in his black jeans and black fitting shirt something inside of Yuta broke. It was almost illegal to look that good in black, and yet here was Jaehyun. His black and blue hair fell effortlessly over his forehead, and he had added a little silver stud into the only piercing in his ear. Jaehyun looked every bit the handsome and fresh city boy he was.

“Thank you,” Yuta replied, willing his voice not to waiver. “You look g-great, too.”

The way Jaehyun chuckled, all deep and from the chest, had Yuta’s stomach doing backflips.

It seemed it was going to be a _long_ night.

{-} 

“Hey, how about we ditch the lovebirds?”

Yuta smiled.

“You read my mind,” he said honestly. For all he loved his two best friends, he truly didn’t feel like third wheeling Or was it fourth wheeling, with him and Jaehyun? in their little date. 

At first it was alright, the group of friends had tried all sorts of street food and had stopped at every little trinket stall to see all the homemade goods being offered. It was pretty nice and everything Yuta had hoped for. Yet at some point it started feeling like Taeyong and Johnny were in a little world of their own. It wasn’t as if Yuta was actually bothered by it but in fact he wanted to give them as much time as possible together. Before, Yuta had been unable to just leave the two alone since he would be left alone and, though Yuta didn’t mind it much, it never sat right with his friends so leaving on his own had always been a big no for Johnny and Taeyong.

But that year, there was Jaehyun. 

“Yuta wants to show me something, guys. We’ll catch up later.” Jaehyun announced, grabbing Yuta’s hand. 

Taeyong raised a questioning eyebrow at Yuta.

“Yuta, we haven’t bought the masks yet. Can’t you show him later?”

“No can do,” Jaehyun replied instead. “I also kind of want to steal him for a little, so be a darling and just bear with Johnny’s ass for a while. I know it’s a hard task but you’re extraordinary, Taeyong, and I know you’ll manage just fine.”

At this, Taeyong just chuckled, ignoring Johnny’s indignant snort. 

“Well, if you have such faith in me, Jaehyun, I cannot let you down. Alas, I’ll take one for the team and stay with Johnny then.”

“I knew I could count on you.”

“Let’s meet before midnight in the pond, so we can watch the fireworks together.”

“Got it.”

And with that, Jaehyun pulled Yuta with him and disappeared into the crowd. 

Jaehyun moved with ease between the masses of people, quickly excusing himself if he so much as slightly bumped into someone, his hand gripping tightly at Yuta’s. Yuta let himself be pulled around, unsure as to where the other was heading. The more they walked the more Yuta realized that Jaehyun was pulling them out of the square, getting away from the crowd. 

The density of people started reducing the more they got away from the little food and trinket stalls; what was once a heavy wave of people pushing around was now only small groups of town people scattered here and there.

“Where are we going?” Yuta finally asked. Although Jaehyun had been in town for a couple of days already, he wasn’t sure if the other was aware of their surroundings or even if he already knew the configuration of the town.

“Just trust me,” was all Yuta got as a reply. 

At first, Yuta thought the other had grabbed his hand so he could easily maneuver him through the crowd. Yet now there was almost no one around and his hand was still encased by Jaehyun’s warm one.

Jaehyun stopped when he felt Yuta tugging at his hand, easily releasing himself from his hold. He immediately flushed. Perhaps he had made Yuta uncomfortable. After all, he had just grabbed him back there and ran away, not even saying a word to the other directly. Yet before he could even spit out the apology ready on his tongue, Yuta grabbed his hand again, intertwining their fingers this time around.

“This way is more comfortable,” Yuta explained. He gave Jaehyun’s hand a light squeeze and smiled bashfully.

Jaehyun took a look at their joined hands and smiled back.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he muttered. He started walking away, Yuta easily slotting by his side, hands held tightly and shoulders brushing casually. “Let’s go, we aren’t far.”

They walked in silence, the only sounds present around them were the distant laughs and music that came from the main square. They provided a perfect background music, the celebratory sounds accompanied by the sound of the waves slowly crashing a couple of metres away from them. They were going to the beach, it seemed.

“I know you already know the entire beach by heart,” Jaehyun started. “So it’s not like I can surprise you, but I hope you’re okay with going to the viewpoint? It’s one of my favourite places on the beach. I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to see the festival from afar.”

That was actually...a good idea. Yuta had never _not_ been at the festival so he didn’t know how pretty the setting looked from afar. He only knew from photos online and such, but he had never thought about trying to get a look of the festival from afar on his own.

“Sounds like a nice idea.”

The viewpoint was a bit far. It was constructed of a set of ladders that led from the sandy floor to a man-made wooden floor with a map of the city, some benches and those machine structures with binoculars that worked with coins. It stood almost at the beginning of the beach, when the coast rounded up a bit. It gave a beautiful sight of the city and of the ocean as well.

As a kid, it had also been one of Yuta’s favourite spots.

Since it was a bit high, if you tried to get to the viewpoint by the beach, you had to climb up quite a bit. From where they were, quickly climbing up, the noises of the festival could no longer be heard. 

“Whoa, it’s really pretty,” Jaehyun said once they were at the top, the two of them standing behind the fence.

Yuta nodded, eyes taking in the spectacle of lights that could be easily seen from the viewpoint. It was a new sight and he was surprised that, despite living in the town all of his life, this was the first time he got to admire such a beautiful view. The lights from the festival danced on the water and reflected on the sand as well. Even if he couldn’t hear the music, he could imagine it without a problem. 

It was so nice that Jaehyun got to introduce him to something so nice. He truly was full of charms.

“This was a great idea.” 

Jaehyun turned his head towards Yuta and smiled widely.

_Thump._

“I’m glad you liked it.”

Yuta smiled back, unable to mirror such a genuine look.

“You know, I wasn’t lying back there.” Jaehyun got closer to Yuta and put his hand on Yuta’s, which had been resting on the fence. 

“Mmh?”

“When I said to Taeyong I wanted to steal you all for me, even if only for a moment.”

_Thump-thump._

“Well, Jaehyun,” Yuta said, also taking a step closer to the other. “Now that you have me all to yourself, what are you planning to do?” He raised an eyebrow, challenging.

Jaehyun seemed taken aback by Yuta’s statement but he managed to recover quickly. He moved and stood right in front of Yuta, one hand still on top of Yuta’s hand, and his other hand slowly going to Yuta’s jaw and cheek. A familiar feeling settled comfortably in Yuta’s chest. Jaehyun angled the other’s face slightly up, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

“If you let me,” he whispered, faces already close. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while now. No interruptions this time.”

Yuta exhaled, his breath fanning Jaehyun’s face. He slowly pulled his hand from under Jaehyun’s hand and gently cupped the other’s face while his other hand homed in on Jaehyun’s shoulder.

“Show me,” was the last thing Yuta said before Jaehyun closed the gap between them. 

It was a soft peck first, two. Jaehyun retreated back just the slightest to take in Yuta’s pliant demeanour, eyes closed and lips slightly ajar.

“Come here.” 

This time, it was Yuta who forcefully guided Jaehyun’s lips to him once again, head tilting slightly so he could accommodate better, lips parting effortlessly for Jaehyun. That was all it took for Jaehyun to really kiss him properly this time. His arm curled around Yuta’s back and pushed the other toward his chest, trying to bring him as close as possible.

In no time, Jaehyun was sliding his tongue between Yuta’s lips, eager to explore the other’s mouth, eager to slide his tongue against Yuta’s, eager to taste him whole. Their lips slotted against each other, wet and warm and just fucking _right._

Yuta was having a bit of trouble keeping up with Jaehyun’s enthusiasm. The other’s mouth was permanently attached to his own, and he felt a bit lightheaded because Jaehyun was a really fucking amazing kisser and he knew exactly what to do to pull the most embarrassing sounds out of Yuta. It wasn’t Jaehyun’s mouth that was eager only, his hands were also getting braver by the second. One of them had already sneaked his way inside Yuta’s shirt, his warm fingers pressed against the small of Yuta’s back, locking him in place.

His own hand was now gripping Jaehyun’s bicep, something he had kind of been wanting to do since he saw how fantastic the other’s arms were. The skin under his fingers was soft and warm and Yuta could feel the hardness beneath them as well. He kept on mapping his biceps, his shoulders, his back. It was like Yuta needed to touch the other to ground himself.

Suddenly, Jaehyun suckled on Yuta’s tongue, making the other weak in the knees and pulling a surprised choke out of him. God, Jaehyun didn’t know that Yuta was so vocal and it was driving him a bit insane. He wanted to keep touching him, keep kissing him, he wanted to keep pulling all sorts of sounds out of him.

Jaehyun pressed harder into him, cornering him against the fence. His hand went from the small of Yuta’s back to his hip, his thumb caressing as much skin as possible. He just couldn’t get enough.

Yuta detached his mouth from Jaehyun’s in favour of pressing his lips against his neck, lips kissing under his jaw and making a wet trail down. His tongue lapped at the juncture between Jaehyun’s neck and shoulder before biting softly.

“F-fuck,” Jaehyun groaned, tilting his head to give more access to Yuta. The other took advantage of the flesh presented to him, licking and kissing and biting. Soon enough, he was going back to Jaehyun’s mouth, kissing him harder and deeper. It felt as if all the pent up frustration was coming afloat.

He let out the most embarrassing sound of the night when he felt Jaehyun’s large palm playing with his navel piercing, his fingers playing with the skin there.

“God, you’re so fucking hot,” Jaehyun mumbled, lips now attached to his throat. He kept on stroking Yuta’s belly, his hand dipping lower and lower with every stroke.

It was too much and Yuta was too familiar with the heat rapidly pooling at his lower stomach to know perhaps he should put a stop to this.

“W-wait, Jaehyun,” Yuta said between gasps. It seemed the other hadn’t listened to him because he went back to Yuta’s lips, lapping at the seam of his mouth, body still pressing him against the face. “Jaehyun, wait, stop.”

The other froze for a second before retreating. His face was flushed, eyes shining and his lips plump from all the biting.

“Sorry,” he immediately apologized. “Something’s wrong? Did I make you uncomfortable?” 

Oh, it was exactly the other way round. Yuta was getting too comfortable under Jaehyun’s touch.

“No, don’t worry.” Yuta smiled to let the other know everything was fine. “I just think maybe we should stop.”

Jaehyun’s deflated face pulled a laugh out of Yuta. God, the younger could be such a child sometimes.

“No, I mean-! I want to keep on kissing you but maybe...let’s keep it mild?”

Now Jaehyun was flushing, realization dawning upon him.

“R-right. Sorry. Perhaps I was a bit...too enthusiastic.”

Yuta grabbed him by the arm and pulled him in again.

“It’s okay, I like enthusiasm. But maybe it’s not the best place for that, you know?”

Jaehyun curled his arms around Yuta’s waist and smiled down at him.

“You’re right. You’ll have to excuse me, I’ve been meaning to kiss you for a long time now. I guess I couldn’t hold myself back.”

“Yeah?”

Jaehyun nodded.

“It’s okay,” Yuta said, throwing his arms around Jaehyun’s neck. “Me too. Now, about the kissing part? Can we go back to that?”

Jaehyun chuckled.

“Definitely.”

{-}

“So, let me get this straight,” Taeyong said from his place on the bed. “You made out with Jaehyun. Quite passionately, may I add from the way your neck is kinda littered in hickeys, while Johnny and I were trying to get you both masks.”

“Not my fault you didn’t take advantage of the time to maul him while we were away.”

Taeyong groaned.

“I know! Johnny is such a helpless romantic sometimes, I swear to God. I mean! I am one, too. But sometimes I just want him to drop the whole gentleman act and just….you know.”

“Rail you.”

“Yeah, rail me.”

Yuta chuckled. 

“Well, I kind of knew Jaehyun was going to try something on you. I mean, he’s been kinda stuck on you the whole summer so it only made sense. I’m glad he’s kinda bold, you know. I knew you weren't going to do shit because you’re a fucking chicken.”

“Leave me alone.”

Taeyong got up from the bed and laid next to Yuta on the floor, using his friend’s shoulder as a pillow. The air from the fan reached him better there than on his own bed.

“And then?”

“And then, well. Before we went back for the fireworks he was all ‘remember you owe me a favour?’ and I was like ‘yeah, what about it?’ and he was like ‘go out with me tomorrow, on a date.’”

“Oh. That’s pretty nice? Whoa, I really like Jaehyun now.”

“And he kept going like ‘you can’t say no, you know? I’m claiming my favour.’ As if I would have said no.”

“Perhaps he’s a bit insecure, you know? It’s not like you’re dropping huge hints that you like him.”

“I kissed him, Taeyong. I don’t know how much more obvious I can be, so please, do enlighten me.”

Taeyong flicked Yuta on the forehead.

“Don’t get cocky with me, shithead. I mean, I know kissing someone means you’re interested in that person, at least on a sexual level. Perhaps he’s scared because he doesn’t know if you also like him in other ways.”

“Of course I do.”

“Shut up, idiot. I know you do but he doesn’t. See the point? Do you feel like Jaehyun only wants to fuck you or do you think he’s also interested in you as a person?”

Images of Jaehyun going out of his way to make Yuta smile or laugh, of Jaehyun admiring Yuta’s worldview, of him admiring how kind and selfless he was suddenly popped into his mind. The other had always made sure to make Yuta feel like he was trying to get close to him not only because he found him attractive.

Yuta groaned.

“I guess I understand.”

“Good boy. Let him know, then, tonight. That you like him, too.”

“That’s embarrassing.” Yuta flushed just from thinking of a scenario in which he told Jaehyun he liked him.

Generally, he didn’t have problems with feelings and emotions. If anything, he was quite proud of being a person that was usually in touch with his inner emotions. He was sensitive and emotional and he wasn’t embarrassed about that. Yet for some unknown reason, it was like he couldn't think straight when Jaehyun was thrown into the picture.

“Feelings are embarrassing, get over it. Where is he taking you?”

“I don’t know, it’s not like he can take me somewhere I don’t know.”

“Don’t be a fucking killjoy.”

Yuta laughed, feeling his nervousness slipping away. Taeyong always did manage to calm his nerves down.

“It’s cute. He’s been trying to impress you so badly this summer. It’s not like he needed to go that far, what with the way he looks. He doesn’t know you’re a weak bitch around men like him though.”

“Like him?”

“All charming and talented, you know? Cooking, playing piano, singing. Good at sports. Bitch, is he a Disney prince or something?”

He might look like one but he was far from that. Jaehyun could be clumsy and got easily embarrassed no matter how much he tried to put up a still-nerve facade. He had an obnoxious laugh and was a bit childish at times. In Yuta’s eyes, all the little things that made Jaehyun stir away from his prince-like first impression only made him more appealing.

“Well, are you gonna help me pick out an outfit or are you going to keep buttering up your boyfriend’s best friend?”

“Johnny’s not my boyfriend.”

“Sure, Jan.”

{-}

Yuta was surprised when Jaehyun took him to Johnny, Taeyong and Yuta’s favourite restaurant. It was a little shop slotted between two larger clothing stores, with only a few tables and a short menu. It was nothing special, it had been the only place they could afford when they were high schoolers and perhaps the memories ingrained in the shop’s walls were far more precious than anything else. 

The food was great, though, all dishes endowed with that particular homemade-like taste that could only come from loving hands that had taught themselves how to cook over years of hard work.

“Johnny told me this was your favourite place to eat, and I thought maybe you’d be more comfortable in a place you were familiar with.” 

Jaehyun seemed nervous, very unlike the Jaehyun that had cornered him against a fence without a second thought. It was cute. 

“It’s fine, really. I love this place. You’re very considerate.” 

That seemed to relieve Jaehyun a bit, his shoulders dropping almost imperceptibly. 

“I’m sure I’d feel comfortable in any other place, though. If it’s you I’m with.” 

Jaehyun raised an eyebrow. 

“You...you make me feel comfortable. So. Don’t worry about that, okay?” 

The tip of Jaehyun’s ears reddened and Yuta bit his lips in an effort to stop himself from grinning to widely. God. He _really_ liked Jaehyun. 

“That’s great.” 

The food wasn’t anything new for Yuta’s taste buds, yet the familiar seasoning was always welcomed. It transported him to his younger days. Somehow, Jaehyun was tinting his memories with his own fresh persona, he was getting under his skin, slowly but surely wrapping himself around Yuta's thoughts. He didn’t hate it. 

Jaehyun was a big eater, Yuta had noticed that much, and still, watching him order yet another side dish elicited a chuckle out of him. He rapidly stuffed his cheeks, chewing and swallowing and making all sorts of happy sounds while eating. 

Yuta remembered when Jaehyun told him he wanted to show him only his cool sides. It was nice that now he felt he didn’t have to put up a front with him. Yuta wanted the other to feel at ease around him, too. Wanted him to feel like he could truly be himself. 

After eating, they went for some ice cream, and hand in hand, strolled down the beach. 

Yuta might have had some flings here and there, yet he had never had this. The whole summer lover experience. The romantic dates, the hand-holding, the quiet walks around the beach. It was exciting and frightening at the same time. A movie-like experience.

“I know this isn’t really extraordinary but I really hope you’re having a great time.”

They were currently sitting on Yuta’s favourite bench, enjoying the shade provided by the trees, which sheltered them from the heat and the sun. They were sharing earphones, showing each other their favourite songs. Yuta had never done something like that with someone, and he had kind of thought that sort of activity only happened in music videos or coming-of-age plots. It looked every bit like a Pinterest influenced idea and Yuta was tempted to ask Jaehyun about it. 

He could tell Jaehyun had been a bit embarrassed when he asked Yuta to listen to music together so he had agreed right away, foregoing the teasing. 

Very much like all of Jaehyun’s ideas so far, it had been a great one. 

“Hey,” Yuta replied, taking his and Jaehyun’s earphones off. Taeyong’s words rang loudly in his head. _Perhaps he’s scared because he doesn’t know if you also like him in other ways._ “Listen, Jaehyun.” Yuta made sure the other was looking at him before speaking up again. “I like you, Jaehyun. A lot. Anything I get to do with you, I like it. Because I love spending time with you, okay? You don’t have to try and impress me anymore because I’m already impressed by everything you do.” 

Yuta gasped when Jaehyun suddenly kissed him, the other’s lips pressing effortlessly against his own. He rapidly closed his eyes and brought him closer by the nape, his fingers playing with Jaehyun’s short hairs. 

Everything was just so nice, Yuta felt like his heart could explode. 

“Ah, I like you so much, too,” Jaehyun confessed when they pulled apart. “You make me feel so...I don’t know. Nervous. All of the time. I just want you to like me so badly, because I really like you. I’m happy you said that. I’m happy you like me back.” 

The bubble of laughter that escaped Yuta made Jaehyun smile. He sure loved watching the other throw his head back, his perfect row of teeth showing. Yuta then leaned in to give the impossibly adorable boy in front of him a light peck on the lips. 

“I wonder where my cocky and confident city boy went,” Yuta said between chuckles. “I much prefer this one cute boy, though.” 

Jaehyun laughed, eyes dancing with mirth. He quickly intertwined his hand with Yuta’s and brought it to his lips, kissing his knuckles lovingly. 

“I guess he was rendered kind of speechless after such a heart-warming confession. Who knew the cold and cool farm boy could be so emotional, huh?” 

“Farm boy? You’re going too far, Jeong Jaehyun.” 

“I like it when you say my whole name.”

Yuta flushed and let out a weak laugh. He wasn’t sure why but such a statement made his insides churn. Especially with the way Jaehyun was looking at him, so intensely. 

“Wanna go back to my place? I’m pretty sure Taeyong is at Johnny’s right now.” 

“You don’t have to use Taeyong as an excuse, you know. Just say you want me all for yourself and I would happily agree.”

Jaehyun flinched when Yuta whacked him on the shoulder. 

“Shut up, you idiot. If you’d rather go back to Johnny’s then that’s fine by me.” 

He tried to detangle his hand from Jaehyun’s to no avail. 

“I love my friend but I’d rather spend my time with this gorgeous boy in front of me.” 

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Yuta said, cheeks heating up. 

“You already said that but so far it’s gotten me pretty far so I think it actually works.” 

“You’re impossible.” 

Jaehyun laughed and cupped Yuta’s face with his free hand. 

“I am,” he conceded before he dove back in and kissed the other. He was sure he would never grow tired of kissing Yuta, not with just how amazing it felt when the other immediately reciprocated his actions, his plump lips slowly sliding against his own. 

He chuckled amid the kiss, amused at how easily Yuta gave in, how pliable he became under his hands and mouth. It was maddening. 

And Jaehyun wanted even more. 

“We better get going,” he said after Yuta pulled away. It was getting a bit late and that part of the road didn’t have street lamps. The other just nodded and stood up, offering his hand. 

Jaehyun took it without a second thought and with his other hand he quickly put his phone and earphones in his back pocket. 

“Let’s go.”

{-}

“No one’s at home?” 

Yuta shook his head while he guided Jaehyun through his house. 

“Mom and Dad went with my sisters to visit my aunt for the weekend.” 

“How convenient.” 

Yuta snorted. 

“Mind out of the gutter,” he warned the other jokingly. He motioned for Jaehyun to take a seat while he prepared some tea for them.

Instead of doing as told, Jaehyun inspected the living room, the shelves littered with family photos. There were even photos of Taeyong, Johnny and Yuta together, very much like in Johnny’s house. He was reminded, once again, just how strong their bond was. It didn’t only show in their particular lives but also in their families’. It was incredibly touching and for a moment he felt a bit envious. Of course he had his own friends back in the city, friends that felt like siblings, yet he wasn’t sure if their friendship had taken over every aspect of his life like Yuta’s. 

“Ugh, don’t look at those. They’re awful.” 

Jaehyun turned his head to find Yuta setting two cups on the table. 

“Come drink this before it gets cold.” 

“You were a really cute kid,” Jaehyun said once he sat down, a warm and cute cat cup between his hands. 

“I was?” 

“Now you’re really hot, though.” Yuta choked on his tea and glared at Jaehyun, who just smiled innocently at him. 

They stayed, sitting quietly, enjoying their teas in a comfortable silence. They had been walking all day, after all, and tiredness was quickly catching up to them. Once they were done, they took the cups to the sink and washed them before going upstairs to Yuta’s bedroom. 

“I got the smallest room, you know how it is when there are two princesses in the house.” Yuta said before sitting down on his bed. 

“Aren’t you the middle child, though?” Jaehyun mused, looking at the band posters covering one of Yuta’s walls. It was rather simple, the bed against the wall, a desk under the window, an in-wall wardrobe and library filled with little toys, books, photos, and some trophies. 

“I am,” Yuta answered, watching Jaehyun inspect his room carefully. He lay back, resting his head on the pillow, eyes still trained on the other. “But I have a soft spot for my two sisters so it’s easy to give up when they gang up on you.”

“I like your room. It’s very you.” 

“What does that even mean?” Yuta laughed, patting his mattress in invitation for Jaehyun to lie down with him. 

He accepted, sitting down on Yuta’s bed.

“That there are parts of your personality all over your room. It’s nice.” 

Yuta chuckled. 

“Come here, there’s something better to do than just lying down,” Jaehyun grabbed Yuta’s arm and helped him sit up once again. 

“What?” 

Yuta yelped when he felt Jaehyun pulling harder in. He stumbled on his knees and the other easily maneuvered him onto his lap. 

“I was thinking about something like this,” Jaehyun whispered, guiding Yuta’s arms around his neck. 

“Mmh. I like the way you think.” 

This time around, the urgency while kissing increased quite a bit, lips and tongues eager, lapping at each other incessantly. 

If Jaehyun had been quite enthusiastic back at the viewpoint, now he was relentless, his hands pushing Yuta against him as if their chests being flushed against each other wasn’t enough. 

And it wasn’t enough. 

Soon, Yuta was pulling away, panting. 

“I hope you don’t expect me to be one to put out on the first date.” 

“I was actually hoping you would, to be honest.” 

Yuta chuckled, trying to ignore the way his insides seemed to churn by having Jaehyun underneath him. 

“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

“How about you make an exception, then. For me?” Jaehyun leaned in and started kissing Yuta’s throat, his hands caressing the other’s side under his shirt. One of his thumbs found his nipple and he caressed it slowly, making Yuta buck his hips involuntary. 

“F-fuck,” Yuta panted. He grabbed Jaehyun by the shoulders in an effort to ground himself. 

“I promise I can make you feel really good,” Jaehyun continued whispering, both of his thumbs now caressing Yuta’s nipples that were growing harder by the second. His mouth went back to kissing and licking the column of his neck. 

“Yeah? Gonna show me a good time?” Yuta rocked his hips a bit, enjoying the way Jaehyun’s hands faltered in his ministrations. 

“The best time,” he claimed, his wet breath making Yuta shudder. 

“Big words, city boy.” 

“I’ll show you what this city boy can do.” 

Suddenly, Jaehyun changed their positions, laying Yuta underneath him effortlessly. The whole manhandling thing was kind of turning Yuta on more than it probably should. When Jaehyun grinded down, Yuta felt just how hard the other already was. And it wasn’t as if he was in a better state. 

“Come on, then.” 

Soon enough, Yuta was urging Jaehyun to take off his shirt while he took off his own. When they met back to continue kissing, Yuta’s hand immediately dived to Jaehyun's toned abdomen, caressing the hard ridges there to his content, making the other groan.

Quickly, his hand travelled down, easily cupping Jaehyun in his palm. The other just moaned and moved his hips, trying to get more friction.

Jaehyun was already so hard, so desperate. It was _delicious_ and it made Yuta want to discover just how more willing Jaehyun was. With the way the other was hurriedly trying to get Yuta out of his pants, he already had an idea.

Ah.

When Yuta felt Jaehyun getting into his briefs, hand immediately closing around him to jerk him off, just right and hot, he knew he was going to have so much fun. Knew Jaehyun was worth making an exception. Knew the other was perhaps a bit more than just a passing infatuation.

 _It’s okay_ , Yuta told himself while Jaehyun successfully got them both naked.

 _It’s more than okay_ , Yuta told himself when he felt Jaehyun’s fingers playing around his rim.

 _It’s perfect_ , Yuta told himself.

_More than perfect._

{-}

The sun was moments away from setting, and in its last minutes, it bathed everything in a pink and golden light. The colours that could be seen above the water were the prettiest Yuta had seen so far in summer. A vivid canvas of warm hues of red, orange and pink painted the entire sky. 

It was warm. 

It was very warm, everywhere. 

But not the scorching type, the one that broke blisters in your skin, but rather the comforting, inviting kind of warm. The one that made you lower your barrier and lulled you to sleep. 

It was warm. 

The sand beneath his feet, the last sun rays that lick at his skin timidly, Jaehyun’s chest against his back. 

Yuta feely high, drunk in such a cozy state. His chest light and his heart at ease. The golden hour had never felt so incredibly welcoming, and perhaps it had to do with the way Jaehyun’s thumbs were softly caressing his stomach. 

Taeyong and Johnny had long given up against the sleepy sunset, now curled around each other on a blanket softly snoring. 

Summer had always been Yuta’s favourite season, the embodiment of everything nice and everything he hoped for. And now, Jaehyun irrevocably formed part of that. His figure permanently tattooed under Yuta’s eyelids, another precious memory that summer had brought with it. Another finger held up when explaining why summer and not any other season. 

From Johnny’s speaker, Taeyong’s favourite song played:

_More than just a connection_

_It was so strange_

_The moment of perception_

_I knew I needed a taste_

_What a pretty summer lover_

_What a pretty summer lover_

_What a pretty summer lover_

Suddenly, Jaehyun chastely kissed the side of his neck and Yuta smiled. 

Indeed. 

What a pretty summer lover.

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> that's it! thanks A LOT for reading!! It's winter here in my country and im so sad because I love summer so much and I miss it dearly ;_; as u could probably tell, it is my favourite season xd 
> 
> as always, a HUGE thanks to the most amazing beta in the world, Eden!! istg you only like my fics so much because she always works her magic on my mess and turns my fics into something ever better uwu thank you, honey, love youu <3
> 
> kudos and comments are always more than welcome!! so dont be shy tehee~~ do check my other works as well!!
> 
> ALSO dont worry about IBAL i've been working on it! im almost done orz i just need a lil inspiration to get me going again so do look forward to it! sorry about the tardiness orz 
> 
> come say hi on [twitter](https://twitter.com/home) or [CC](https://curiouscat.qa/pequinessa)


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